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Lot Essay
Designed in the bold goût grec of the mid-1770s and with distinctive figures en arabesques or siren mounts in the manner of Etienne-Maurice Falconet (d. 1791), this distinctive clock relates to the work of the ciseleur-doreur François Rémond, who often worked in collaboration with the marchand-mercier Dominique Daguerre. Elected maître in 1774, Rémond often incorporated such figures en arabesques in his work, which featured on 'une paire de girandoles à lumières, portées par des figures en arabesques', supplied to princesse Kinsky in 1788 through Daguerre.
The bold and beautifully chased mounts of the present clock are related to those of the celebrated Saxe-Teschen celadon vase and cover, formerly in the Qizilbash Collection, sold Christie’s Paris, 19 December 2007, lot 803, and then sold from a Private Collection, Christie’s London, 9 July 2015, lot 10. Closely related vases, with identical siren mounts, were sold from the Alexander Collection, Christie’s New York, 30 April 1999, lot 95 and are illustrated here. At least two other clocks of the present model are known to exist: one, from the collection of the Princes of Gorchakov, with movement by Martin, was sold Christie's, London, 13 November 2019; the other, from the collection of Queen Olga of Württemberg (1829-1899), was presented to her lady-in-waiting Princess Schaumburg-Lippe, sold Christie’s, London, 13 June 2002, lot 5.
Sir George Lindsay Holford (1860-1926) was born into the wealthy Holford family and was heir to the two considerable seats of Dorchester House, London and Westonbirt House, Gloucestershire. His father had built both properties and filled them with an important art collection. Sir George preserved his father's properties and collections and took particular interest in gardening, creating at Westonbirt one of the finest gardens in South-West England. He distinguished himself as a courtier and was close friends with King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra as well as their successors George V and Queen Mary.
The bold and beautifully chased mounts of the present clock are related to those of the celebrated Saxe-Teschen celadon vase and cover, formerly in the Qizilbash Collection, sold Christie’s Paris, 19 December 2007, lot 803, and then sold from a Private Collection, Christie’s London, 9 July 2015, lot 10. Closely related vases, with identical siren mounts, were sold from the Alexander Collection, Christie’s New York, 30 April 1999, lot 95 and are illustrated here. At least two other clocks of the present model are known to exist: one, from the collection of the Princes of Gorchakov, with movement by Martin, was sold Christie's, London, 13 November 2019; the other, from the collection of Queen Olga of Württemberg (1829-1899), was presented to her lady-in-waiting Princess Schaumburg-Lippe, sold Christie’s, London, 13 June 2002, lot 5.
Sir George Lindsay Holford (1860-1926) was born into the wealthy Holford family and was heir to the two considerable seats of Dorchester House, London and Westonbirt House, Gloucestershire. His father had built both properties and filled them with an important art collection. Sir George preserved his father's properties and collections and took particular interest in gardening, creating at Westonbirt one of the finest gardens in South-West England. He distinguished himself as a courtier and was close friends with King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra as well as their successors George V and Queen Mary.