French Boule Mantel Clock, 19th Century
You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.
Subscribe Now to view actual auction price for this item
When you subscribe, you have the option of setting the currency in which to display prices to $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.
- Ormolu - Ormolu was popular with French craftsmen in the 18th and 19th century for ornamental fittings for furniture, clocks and other decorative items. True ormolu is gilt bronze, that is bronze that has been coated with gold using a mercury amalgam. Due to the health risks associated with using mercury, this method of creating ormolu was discontinued in France in the 1830s. A substitute was developed consisting of about 75% copper and 25% zinc, however it was inferior to the bronze version. It was often lacquered to prevent it tarnishing.
This item has been included into following indexes:
- clocks, mantle & shelf, material or style - gilt metal / ormolu 536
- clocks, mantle & shelf, period or origin
Visually similar items
A French four pillar portico clock, circa 1880, the ebonized wooden pediment and base colourfully inlaid with pink and green fans, separated by four barley twist pillars, the whole with decorative ormolu mounts. The white enamel dial painted with Roman num
James & Walter Marshall late Napoleonic gilt bronze & porcelain clock made in Paris, hand painted with cherubs below the face & flanked by two columns hand painted with birds accentuated with gilt accents, two acorn finials centred by an applied lidded urn
A French ormolu mantel clock, circa 1820, the rectangular base inset with a romantic frieze on four acanthus bracket feet, surmounted by a winged Psyche perched on the clock, modelled in classical draping robes and holding a butterfly as an allegory of lov
A Louis XV style ormolu mounted Boulle bracket clock, together with a matching Boulle wall bracket, 88 cm high