Portico clock Louis XVI - Gilt bronze - 1799

Elegant portico clock from the late Louis XVI period, in white and black marble decorated with chiseled and gilded bronzes.

Of architectural and refined proportions, it rises on a rectilinear base highlighted by a frieze of pearls and punctuated by rectangular reserves. In the center opens a delicate openwork guardrail decorated with garlands and spikes, from which emerges a radiant bouquet of acanthus leaves serving as a support for the pendulum.

Two obelisk-like uprights, alternating white marble and black panels adorned with gilded bronze trophies of arms, rise on either side of the dial. They are topped with pine cones and flanked by lion muzzles holding rings and hanging balls, details dear to the decorative aesthetic of the late 18th century.

The circular white enamel dial has Roman numerals for the hours and Arabic numerals for the minutes. It is topped by a white marble cup decorated with blooming flowers, connected to the obelisks by two delicately draped chains.

The ensemble illustrates late neoclassical rigor, where military ornament and antique references combine in a slender and balanced silhouette. This clock, combining architectural sobriety and rich gilt bronze, reflects the refined taste of the last years of the reign of Louis XVI and the transition to the Directoire aesthetic.

This clock works perfectly.