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    Sale 2172

    Important European Furniture, Works of Art, Ceramics, Tapestries and Oriental Carpets

    New York

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    9 June 2009

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    Lot 193

    A LOUIS XV ORMOLU, PATINATED BRONZE AND RED-PAINTED 'PENDULE A L'ELEPHANT'

    CIRCA 1750, THE ORMOLU ATTRIBUTED TO JEAN-JOSEPH DE SAINT-GERMAIN, THE DIAL SIGNED ETIENNE LENOIR A PARIS

    Price realised

    USD 68,500

    Estimate

    USD 60,000 - USD 100,000

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    A LOUIS XV ORMOLU, PATINATED BRONZE AND RED-PAINTED 'PENDULE A L'ELEPHANT'
    CIRCA 1750, THE ORMOLU ATTRIBUTED TO JEAN-JOSEPH DE SAINT-GERMAIN, THE DIAL SIGNED ETIENNE LENOIR A PARIS
    The drum case with red-painted sides surmounted by a putto holding a tablet, the dial with Roman and Arabic chapters and signed 'Etienne Lenoir à Paris', on a richly patinated elephant with raised front foot and base naturalistically cast with rockwork and flowers, restorations to enamelling of dial
    19½ in. (49.5 cm) high, 14½ in. (37 cm.) wide

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    Lot Essay

    Jean-Joseph de Saint Germain, maître fondeur in 1748.
    Pierre-Etienne Le Noir, recorded with his father Etienne on the Quai des Orfèvres from 1743.
    This splendid 'pendule à l'éléphant' can be firmly attributed to the bronzier Jean-Joseph de Saint-Germain on the basis of other examples of the model with the base signed 'ST GERMAIN', including one illustrated in H. Ottomeyer/P. Pröschel et al., Vergoldete Bronzen, Munich, 1986, vol. I, p. 123, fig. 2.8.3, another in the collection of the Dukes of Buccleuch at Drumlanrig Castle, Scotland, and a further example offered Sotheby's Paris, 24 March 2006, lot 34.

    The connection of the model to Saint-Germain's atelier is further strengthened by a mention in the inventory drawn up after the death of his wife in 1747 of 'deux pendules à l'éléphant l'une pour model et l'autre fondue prises ensemble la somme de cent dix livres'.

    Other information

    Pre-Lot Text

    PROPERTY FROM A DISTINGUISHED PRIVATE COLLECTION (LOTS 192-194)

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