French table clock. Napoleon III period.

French Napoleon III table clock, mid-nineteenth century.
Patinated bronze.
Paris movement, with chime at half and hour.
Measurements: 74 x 56 x 27 cm.

Sculptural clock of the Second French Empire, with the representation of Zeus in round bulk. The majestic figure, wrapped in a tunic that exposes his strong torso, originally held a trident. Next to him, the representation of a herma or cairn through which ivy climbs, serves as the clock case. The dial has Roman numerals. The whole sits on a base decorated with a frieze of foliage. It is raised on claw feet. This type of clock combines mythological, artistic and functional elements typical of the historicist style that dominated during the reign of Napoleon III.