Empire skeleton portico clock. France, c. 1815

Empire skeleton portico clock. France, c. 1815
Gilt bronze. Hand-painted porcelain dial, enameled.
With pendulum suspension on silk thread.
Signed on the dial: "Ch. Noseda à Marseille".
Preserves pendulum and key
It has a later base and beacon.
Measurements: 51x 21 x 21 cm; 61 x 30 x 30 x 30 cm (frame)

Gilded bronze clock in the form of a temple with four columns resting on a circular base. These have been conceived as caryatids, although the crown they carry indicates that the inspiration comes from ancient Egypt. It is topped by a skeleton movement. The enameled dial is surrounded by an openwork frieze, embellished by figures of classical inspiration, which ends in a large cup. The pendulum is adorned with a radiate mask.

At the beginning of the 19th century, skeleton clocks acquired great importance for their combination of technical precision and handcrafted aesthetics. These clocks, which exposed their internal mechanisms, allowed manufacturers to showcase their fine watchmaking skills, highlighting the complexity and beauty of the gears, springs and wheels that made accurate time measurement possible. In an era marked by advances in engineering and art, skeleton watches were not only functional objects, but also symbols of status and mastery, valued as much for their precision as for their elegance and the innovation they represented in fine watchmaking.