Louis XIV - Console Cartel Pendulum Clock - Paliard, Besançon - Gold plated - 1700-1750 - (NO RESERVE)

French Louis XIV cartel clock with console, signed on the back plate Paliard, Besançon
late 17th / early 18th century
Boulle marquetry, gilded bronze and enamel
Clock with fusee escapement, pendulum, and hour/half-hour strike on a bell

Monumental French cartel clock with accompanying wall console, executed in the Louis XIV style. The tall, gracefully curved case is clad in Boulle marquetry, inlaid with finely cut brass arabesques and floral motifs against a dark reddish-brown ground. The richly applied gilded bronze mounts follow the contours of the case and consist of rocailles, acanthus leaves, volutes, and architectural cornices.

The circular dial is composed of twelve individual white enamel cartouches with deep cobalt-blue Roman numerals. Around it runs a finely engraved minute scale; the center consists of finely chiselled and engraved gilded metal with foliate and figurative ornaments. Two keyholes correspond to the two trains of the going and striking works. Time is indicated by two dark steel hands.

The movement case is closed at the front by a convex glazed door. Beneath the dial, the case opens to a large glazed field in which the pendulum is visible. A gilded bronze drapery hangs under the movement; at the bottom are two birds facing each other with their beaks touching, a motif associated in eighteenth-century decorative art with love and unity. The openwork architecture makes the moving pendulum weight part of the decorative design.

The case rests on strongly curved feet with acanthus leaves and clawed ends. The accompanying wall console reproduces the same materials and ornamentation. The fluted lower edge is fitted with gilded rocailles, a fan-shaped leaf motif and a hanging knop. The harmony between clock and console gives the whole its verticality that is characteristic of the French cartel from the Louis XIV period.

As a crown, a gilded bronze winged putto, probably Amor, holds a burning torch aloft. The motif complements the two birds under the dial and provides the decoration with a coherent iconographic accent around love and connection. The combination of asymmetric rocaille, curved case contours, and naturalistic foliate ornamentation fits within the mid‑eighteenth‑century French idiom.

The back is closed with a wooden door; the inside is richly decorated with Boulle marquetry of symmetrical arabesques, palmettes, and floral garlands. The sides of the case are glazed as well, so parts of the movement and pendulum construction remain visible.

The brass movement consists of rectangular plates and two fusee trains. The back plate bears an engraved script:
Paliard Besançon

The mechanism is executed with a traditional fusee-driven going train and is regulated by a pendulum with a suspension spring. The striking works with a separate train and a snail wheel or count wheel; the strike takes place on the metal bell mounted above the movement. The construction corresponds to the usual hour- and half-hour-striking of French clocks of this type.

The name Paliard, also written Paillard, belongs to a family of clockmakers active in Besançon in the eighteenth century. A note in Tardy, Dictionnaire des horlogers français, records Paliard of Besançon around 1700 and names several family members during the first half of the eighteenth century.

The case shows signs of age and use, including local wear to gilding and marquetry, slight discolorations, and wear on the back. The ornamental bronze mounts, enamel clock carts, glazing, pendulum and bell are present.

The clock runs and is sold in its current condition. No warranty is given for its operation or timekeeping accuracy.

Dimensions
Height: 110 cm
Width: 39 cm
Depth: 20 cm

The photos provide a comprehensive view of the case, dial, crown, back and interior, pendulum, weights, bells and the movement. They are an integral part of the condition description. Prospective buyers are advised to study all photos carefully before bidding.

Due to its age, technicality and complexity, buyers are advised to have the clock checked by a specialist clockmaker after delivery, to level it and regulate it. Performing these tasks is the buyer’s responsibility; this service is not included in the purchase and is not performed by the seller.

All shipments are in professional packaging via FedEx, DPD or PostNL.

For all shipments there is a surcharge for packing materials, which is already included in the stated shipping price.

The buyer is responsible for any import duties and other costs that may apply on delivery abroad.

Shipping artwork always involves certain risks. While shipping is possible, we advise collecting the clock in person when this option is available. If shipping is chosen, it is entirely at the buyer’s risk. Collection offers the assurance that the work is received undamaged and in optimal condition. After purchase you can easily schedule a time to collect the clock at our workshop and studio, where it will be ready for you safely and carefully.

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