Empire style table clock; France, c. 1930.

Empire style table clock; France, c. 1930.

Gilded bronze and marble.
No pendulum or key.
Presents faults and losses.
Signed Samuel Marti (machinery).
Measurements: 50 x 36 x 14 cm.
French table clock made in bronze with marble base. The piece integrates with great harmony the clock face in the sculpture. On a base of straight profiles, a male figure rises in round bulk. The movement of the garment, which seems to flutter in the wind, the posture itself and the wings give great expressiveness to this clock, which is the representation of time. Cronos with his scythe controls the duration of life, a metaphor that is reflected in the dial of the clock itself, which Cronos holds as if it were his shield.
The bronze table clocks of the 19th century were key pieces in decoration and interior design, as well as symbols of social status and refinement. 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, which made them highly valued objects in the residences of high society.