Empire clock. France, c. 1810

Empire clock. France, c. 1810
Mercury gilt bronze. Hand-painted, enameled porcelain dial numerals.
With silk thread pendulum suspension.
Preserves pendulum and key
Presents lack in the foot of the figure
Measurements: 48 x 37 x 11 cm.

French Empire style table clock. All of it is made in gilded bronze, with a sculptural concept typical of this time. It is a piece of classic aesthetics, with a base decorated with mythological-allegorical characters in bas-relief as a frieze. On it rises a figure in round bulk representing a young lady with a headdress that turns to a small box from which emerges a small figure representing Hope, as we are facing a representation of the myth of Pandora.

All these elements rest on the watch case. The dial features Roman numerals enameled in black with a central disk of gilded bronze chiseled with geometric motifs in a radial composition. The dial is framed by the shape of the uroborus, a snake biting its tail, a symbol of eternity.

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.