Napoleon III table clock; France, third quarter of the 19th century.

Napoleon III table clock; France, third quarter of the nineteenth century.

Gilded bronze and enameled porcelain.
It has Brocot suspension.
Preserves pendulum and key.
Presents loss of one of the arms of a sculpture.
Signed with anagram in the machinery.
Measurements: 57, 5 x 27 x 28 cm.
French table clock in which gilded bronze is combined with blued bronze. It has a profuse ornamentation on the base with a central border decorated with bunches of grapes and branches in relief. On this base the body houses the clock face with golden front with cartouches for Roman numerals in cobalt blue and openwork black hands that stand out against the golden finish of the bronze. The dial has a wide ornamentation in the outer area with large clusters on the sides. Finally, the upper area has a sculptural group starring four little lovebirds, one of them asleep on the floor and others holding up a child holding a cup. Both the presence of the grapes and the attitudes of the protagonists of the upper sculpture are evidence of the Bacchic theme of this clock.
Nineteenth-century bronze table clocks were key pieces of 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 period. 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.