A Directoire ormolu and bronze blackamoor mantel clock

CIRCA 1795

Details

A Directoire ormolu and bronze blackamoor mantel clock
Circa 1795
The case modelled as a bale of bamboo with entwined rope mounts held aloft by a half-naked negress wearing a leafy crown and matching skirt, with enamel eyes, a strand of coral beads to her neck, also hung with a cradle bearing her child, on stepped oval base with crossed fan and scallop shell mount to the front and with bun feet, with reeded bezel to the white enamel Roman dial with Arabic quarters and gilt-metal moon hands, the twin-going barrel movement with silk-suspended pendulum and countwheel strike on a bell, the right pendant robe, not visible on the illustration, is off but sold with the piece
40cm. high x 25cm. wide x 12cm. deep

Lot Essay

The design for this clock, entitled 'La Nourrice Africaine', was executed by Croutelle l'aîné in 1807 and is in the Cabinet des Estampes of the Bibliotheque Nationale. Croutelle, who was based in the rue de la Croix in 1812, only registered this design for a 'pendule au sauvage'; several other designs in this series were produced by Jean Simon Deverberie, such as L'Afrique , L'Amerique and 'Indien et Indienne enlacé'. (H.Ottomeyer/P.Pröschel, Vergoldete Bronzen, Munich, 1986, Vol. I, p. 380, fig 5.15.27)

An identical clock was sold from the Fermor-Hesketh Collection at Chritie's London, 23 June 1988, lot 121. (£ 17000) A further example was sold anonymously at Sotheby's London, 16 June 1989, lot 132.
See illustration

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