Empire table clock. France, c.1800.

Empire table clock. France, c.1800.

Mercury gilded bronze and enameled porcelain.
It has silk thread suspension.
Preserves key.
It presents faults in the dial, oxide marks and does not preserve pendulum.
Measurements: 28 x 24 x 10 cm.
French Empire style table clock. It is made of gilded bronze, with a sculptural concept typical of this time. It is a piece of classical aesthetics, with a base decorated with a bas-relief as a frieze. On it rises a figure in round bulk representing the muse of music dressed with a laurel wreath and holding a lyre while clutching a little love. All these elements rest on the case of the clock. The dial features Roman numerals in black with an outer disk of gilt bronze chiseled with geometric motifs in a radial composition.
Nineteenth century bronze table clocks were key pieces in interior decoration and 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.