A Christie's specialist may contact you to discuss this lot or to notify you if the condition changes prior to the sale.
Lot Essay
The clock, designed in the Louis XV picturesque manner, celebrates the Triumph of Love and derives from Ovid's Metamorphoses concerning plants, animals and the pagan gods' ability to commune with mortals. Jupiter, the father of the gods, is represented as the loving abductor, who, upon seeing the nymph Europa gathering flowers by the shore, adopted the guise of a bull to carry her away to the consternation of her companions.
The present clock is a variation on the celebrated model displayed in several collections, typically with attendant figures at the base; an example signed by Jean-Joseph de Saint-Germain and originating from the Château de Saint-Cloud and the Tuileries, is exhibited at the Musée de Louvre, Paris (OA5168), and illustrated in H. Ottomeyer, P. Proschel, et. al., Vergoldete Bronzen, Munich, 1986, vol. I, p. 125, fig. 2.8.8. Related models with slight variants in the foliage and form from the collections at Schloss Johannisburg, Aschaffenburg and the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, are illustrated, ibid. figs. 2.8.7 and 2.8.9
Related Articles
Sorry, we are unable to display this content. Please check your connection.
You have agreed to be bound by the Conditions of Sale and if your bid is successful, you are legally obliged to pay for the lot you have won. The purchase price for a successful bid will be the sum of your final bid plus a buyer’s premium, any applicable taxes and any artist resale royalty, exclusive of shipping-related expenses.
Condition report
A Christie's specialist may contact you to discuss this lot or to notify you if the condition changes prior to the sale.
The condition of lots can vary widely and the nature of the lots sold means that they are unlikely to be in a perfect condition. Lots are sold in the condition they are in at the time of sale.
In overall good condition. There are the inevitable dents, marks, chips and areas of tarnishing consistent with age and use. As stated in the cataloguing regilt. Some minor tarnishing to the ormolu with a slight build up of dust to the crevices. The enamel dial with some small chips to the edges of the key holes. A small loss to one of the floral sprays to the right side of the base. Otherwise structurally sound and ready to place.
HILLE 04/01/2022 FM/SJ/PG/HDF/SDM/CC/OR/EO/WS/CK/BB/AR 20th century copy
Cost calculator
Lot 532Sale 22103
20TH CENTURY, THE DIAL SIGNED BY JACQUIERA FRENCH ORMOLU MANTEL CLOCKEstimate: USD 8,000 - 12,000
Enter your bid amount for an estimated cost
Bid amount
Please enter numbers onlyAmount must be higher than the starting bidAmount must be higher than the current bid
Buyer's premium
Loss, damage and liability
Shipping
Estimated Excise Duty
Artist Resale Royalty
Estimated total cost exclusive of customs duties/charges and tariffs