Empire clock. France, ca. 1805

Empire clock. France, ca. 1805.
"The Chariot of Love".
Mercury gilt bronze. Horses with crystal eyes.
Machinery with chiming of averages and hours.
Good preservation.
Key not included.
Measurements: 50 x 50 x 17 cm.

This exquisite clock of Empire period is distinguished by the fantastic sculptural group that presides it: Cupid, of graceful and harmonic gestures, directs the chariot of Love pulled by two lively horses very well modeled. The chariot of the god of amorous desire takes the form of a scaled dragon at the back and a scaled dragon at the front, while the wheel houses the skeleton clock face with Breguet hands and Roman numerals. The whole is raised on a prismatic base on which is represented a detailed bas-relief of Apollo's chariot, a resource that follows models of Classical Antiquity. A catalogued example of this model is signed by the bronze artist Jean-Simon Deverberie and the enameler Dubuisson (quoted in the description of an identical clock, now in the La Pendulerie gallery in Paris).

Elaborately crafted and often adorned with artistic motifs, these clocks not only served to measure time, but also reflected the technical advances and taste for fine craftsmanship of the time. Bronze, a durable and aesthetically appreciated material, allowed the creation of complex and elegant forms, integrating styles such as neoclassical or rococo.