Lewis Walduck
Cataloguer
Lot 43*
A Fine And Rare Mid 18th Century French Gilt And Patinated Bronze Animalier Mantel Clock 'The Elephant' Festeau, Paris
2 July 2025, 13:00 BST
London, New Bond StreetSold for £32,000 inc. premium
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A Fine And Rare Mid 18th Century French Gilt And Patinated Bronze Animalier Mantel Clock 'The Elephant'
Festeau, Paris
Surmounted by the figure of a young Apollo, a gilt bow and arrow in his hands, quiver on his back and hair tied up, sitting on a gilt drum case framed by a pair of sprays of foliage and flowers, all held aloft by the patinated figure of an elephant standing at a slight forward angle to the left, his twin-domed head tilted to the right, and trunk curled further still toward the viewer and turning upwards at the tip in curiosity. The heavy load above sitting on a patterned caparison with frilled edge and cast scrollwork with matt and burnished belt running around his body. Further set on a naturalistic knoll of rockwork and foliage on a series of florid foliate scrolls. The 5 inch enamel Roman and Arabic dial signed in the centre and sporting a pair of good pierced and engraved gilt hands, protected by a domed glass in a moulded bezel, the rear door with domed pierced sound fret backed in red silk and opening to reveal circular plates with flattened lower edges united by five pillars, silk suspension and large outside countwheel with a five-pointed star centre.
Ticking, striking. Sold together with the pendulum and an associated blue velvet-covered stand. 43cms (17ins) high.
Surmounted by the figure of a young Apollo, a gilt bow and arrow in his hands, quiver on his back and hair tied up, sitting on a gilt drum case framed by a pair of sprays of foliage and flowers, all held aloft by the patinated figure of an elephant standing at a slight forward angle to the left, his twin-domed head tilted to the right, and trunk curled further still toward the viewer and turning upwards at the tip in curiosity. The heavy load above sitting on a patterned caparison with frilled edge and cast scrollwork with matt and burnished belt running around his body. Further set on a naturalistic knoll of rockwork and foliage on a series of florid foliate scrolls. The 5 inch enamel Roman and Arabic dial signed in the centre and sporting a pair of good pierced and engraved gilt hands, protected by a domed glass in a moulded bezel, the rear door with domed pierced sound fret backed in red silk and opening to reveal circular plates with flattened lower edges united by five pillars, silk suspension and large outside countwheel with a five-pointed star centre.
Ticking, striking. Sold together with the pendulum and an associated blue velvet-covered stand. 43cms (17ins) high.
Footnotes
Comparable examples:
An identical model is in the collection of the Musee des Arts decoratifs de Lyon, signed Dominice; another is known signed for Zacharie. See Kjellberg, P. (1997) La Pendule Francaise. Paris, Les Editions de l'Amateur. p.127, figure E, (signed Caranda, Paris).
Niehüser, E. (1999) French Bronze Clocks. Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing, p239,
image 884.
Provenance: A European Noble family, 'Comtesse de L....'
Additional information
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