Napoleon III table clock; France, late 19th century.

Napoleon III table clock; France, late nineteenth century.

Gilded bronze and enameled porcelain.
It has brocot suspension.
It shows wear and slight flaws.
Signed Japy Frères (machinery).
Measurements: 52 x 42 x 18 cm.
Table clock made of gilded bronze that is arranged on a base deeply ornamented with classicist-inspired motifs. In the center a mascaron with caprine form structures the symmetry of the whole ornamental set of the pedestal. Above this a raised platform with a mixtilinear profile serves as a base for the clock case, which has an enameled dial in the center, Roman numerals and gilded openwork hands, as was customary at the time. The area of the dial, wrapped in a garland of grapes and grapes is in the lower area of a sculptural group starring two young people and a goat, clearly alluding to a theme of bacchic character that was so popular during the nineteenth century. The firm Japy Frères, one of the most prestigious in Europe in the late nineteenth century, founded in the middle of the century by Frédéric Guillaume, Louis Frédéric and Jean Pierre, sons of the renowned watchmaker Frédéric Japy, who had long before laid the foundations of modern watchmaking.
The bronze table clocks of the 19th century 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.