Empire clock. France, c. 1815

Empire clock. France, c. 1815
Mercury gilt bronze and marble. Hand-painted porcelain dial, enameled.
With suspension of the pendulum in silk thread.
Signed: "Ledure / bronzier á Paris / Thomas Hr" (Pierre-Victor Ledure: 1783-1870)
Preserves pendulum and key
Measurements: 57 x 45 x 18 cm.

Empire table clock, on a large rectangular green marble base, supported by lion claws, there is a plinth that houses the porcelain dial of the clock signed Ledure Bronzier à Paris. Ledure was established in rue Neuve des petits champs in 1812 and in rue Vivienne in 1820. The piece has been conceived as a sculpture as it is a whole group in which the figure of Athena can be seen resting on the pedestal on which the clock case is located, which ends in a bust and finally on the side a column as a pedestal that supports a globe, so it is likely that the bust represents Strabo, who built the first globe.

Nineteenth-century bronze table clocks 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.