Lot 27
A rate late 19th century French nickel silver 'Angelus' carriage clock Designed by Lucien Falize. The movement numbered 7901
13 July 2023, 14:00 BST
London, New Bond StreetSold for £1,664 inc. premium
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A rate late 19th century French nickel silver 'Angelus' carriage clock
Designed by Lucien Falize. The movement numbered 7901
Surmounted by a handle of entwined dragons, over twelve titled circular panels cast into the sides, each representing a month of the year with an associated activity (sowing, harvesting, threshing etc); the rear set with a scene of the Admonition and the inscription "Vigilate quia netcitis diem neque horam" Watch thee, for you know not the day nor the hour and a solid door with strapwork hinges and sliding bolt, the octagonal dial with gothic Roman numerals and fancy pierced hands with mythical beasts to the centre, over a scene of the Annunciation and the inscription "Angelus Domini numtiavit Maria", The Angel of the Lord Announced to Mary, the underside cast in the same style with strapwork and hexagonal panel, signed AXF and depose. The rectangular carriage clock movement with folding integral handle tandem winding both trains, with lever platform escapement striking and repeating on a gong.
18cms (7ins) high.
Surmounted by a handle of entwined dragons, over twelve titled circular panels cast into the sides, each representing a month of the year with an associated activity (sowing, harvesting, threshing etc); the rear set with a scene of the Admonition and the inscription "Vigilate quia netcitis diem neque horam" Watch thee, for you know not the day nor the hour and a solid door with strapwork hinges and sliding bolt, the octagonal dial with gothic Roman numerals and fancy pierced hands with mythical beasts to the centre, over a scene of the Annunciation and the inscription "Angelus Domini numtiavit Maria", The Angel of the Lord Announced to Mary, the underside cast in the same style with strapwork and hexagonal panel, signed AXF and depose. The rectangular carriage clock movement with folding integral handle tandem winding both trains, with lever platform escapement striking and repeating on a gong.
18cms (7ins) high.
Footnotes
The plates are engraved AB and punch numbered 5036
COMPARATIVE LITERATURE:
A. Kenneth Snowman, The Master Jewellers, London, 1990, pp.61-72
Lucien Falize, "L'Orfevreue et la Bijouterie au Champs de Mars", Gazette des Beaux Arts, Paris, 1878
Katherine Purcell, "Catering for Every Taste", Apollo, February 1991
Joseph Fanelli and Charles Terwilliger, A Century of Fine Carriage Clocks, Clock Trade Enterprises, 1987, pp.90-91
Lucien Falize (1839-1897) and his father Alexis (1811-1898) were renowned designers and manufacturers of the finest decorative and enamelled jewellery. Alexis established the firm in 1832 and retired in 1876, whereupon his son took over and expanded the business. Lucien was particularly influenced by the enamel art of Japan and the revival of interest in Gothic and Renaissance art so popular in the last quarter of the 19th century.
This particular model of clock - given the name Angelus - was first exhibited in ivory with gold and silver mounts at the 1878 at the Exposition Universelle in Paris. The 'AXF' lozenge mark stamped on the underside of this lot was not used by Falize after he took Bapst, former French crown jeweller, as a partner in 1880, giving a timeline of possible production of this piece of 1878-1880. Related examples of this model were sold in these rooms 17th June 2003, lot 92; 15th December 2015, lot 120; Sotheby's Paris, 28 March 2007, lot 155; Christie's London, 6 December 2006, lot 16 and Sotheby's London, 24 February, 2004, lot 3. Another example is in the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Accession Number: M.2001.137.
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