Louis XV Boulle Bracket Clock
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This early 18th-century bracket clock is covered in exceptional Boulle marquetry
Key Features
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- This splendid Louis XV bracket clock displays the magnificent artistry of André-Charles Boulle
- This rare timepiece features a movement by premier 18th-century clockmaker Jacques Huguet
- It is rare to find an 18th-century clock in such wonderful condition
- The case indistinctly stamped 'N...' and 'JME', and the dial is signed JACQUES HUGUET/A PARIS
- Circa 1730
- 14" wide x 7 1/4" deep x 35 1/2" high
Item Details
- Width:
14 Inches - Height:
35 1/2 Inches - Depth:
7 1/4 Inches - Period:
18th Century - Origin:
France
This outstanding Louis XV clock displays exquisite marquetry in the style of André-Charles Boulle, and features a movement crafted by Jacques Huguet, one of the premier clockmakers of the 18th century. The clock and its distinctive matching shelf are adorned with brass and ebony inlaid with stained-horn and mother-of-pearl, and mounted with flourishing ormolu decorations. A dial of cast ormolu is inset with an enamel centre and enamel plaques displaying Roman and Arabic numerals, as blued steel hands keep time. The movement has twin going barrels with a verge escapement and silk suspended pendulum. Eighteenth-century clocks of this type are extremely rare, due to the delicate surface decoration. Similar models are featured in French Clocks the World Over by Tardy, and in Encyclopédie de La Pendule Française du Moyen age au XXe Siècle, by Pierre Kjellberg.
14" wide x 7 1/4" deep x 35 1/2" high
The case indistinctly stamped 'N...' and 'JME', and the dial is signed "JACQUES HUGUET/A PARIS."
Circa 1730
Bracket clocks were developed in last quarter of the 17th century. They are composed of two matching pieces created as an ensemble: a clock and a small decorative shelf. They are almost always made of wood and often ornamented with ormolu mounts, brass inlay, wood or tortoise shell veneer, or decorative varnish.The production of these extraordinary clocks flourished during the 18th and 19th centuries in France due to royal and aristocratic patronage. French clocks, considered primarily a decorative object, proved to be far more ornate than their English counterparts. Boulle marquetry, introduced by André Charles Boulle during the reign of Louis XIV, was favored for adorning furnishings and decorative objects because of its extravagance, beauty and uniqueness. Jacques Huguet worked in Paris and died in 1733.
Provenance:
The Vitale Collection, sold by Christies, New York, 36 November 1996, lot 50.
14" wide x 7 1/4" deep x 35 1/2" high
The case indistinctly stamped 'N...' and 'JME', and the dial is signed "JACQUES HUGUET/A PARIS."
Circa 1730
Bracket clocks were developed in last quarter of the 17th century. They are composed of two matching pieces created as an ensemble: a clock and a small decorative shelf. They are almost always made of wood and often ornamented with ormolu mounts, brass inlay, wood or tortoise shell veneer, or decorative varnish.The production of these extraordinary clocks flourished during the 18th and 19th centuries in France due to royal and aristocratic patronage. French clocks, considered primarily a decorative object, proved to be far more ornate than their English counterparts. Boulle marquetry, introduced by André Charles Boulle during the reign of Louis XIV, was favored for adorning furnishings and decorative objects because of its extravagance, beauty and uniqueness. Jacques Huguet worked in Paris and died in 1733.
Provenance:
The Vitale Collection, sold by Christies, New York, 36 November 1996, lot 50.
