Very large Louis XV style gilt bronze mantel clock by Beurdeley

Very large Louis XV style gilt bronze mantel clock by Beurdeley
French, c. 1880
Height 102cm, width 48cm, depth 29cm

This very large mantel clock is a magnificent example of 19th Century French decorative art by one of its very best practitioners: Beurdeley. The clock, wrought from gilt bronze, is designed in the ornate Louis XV manner. The clock stands on four foliate feet, each culminating in a bust, while the case’s rounded top is set to the centre with an elaborate crown topped by Cupid and mounted to the sides with ram’s heads. The circular gilt bronze dial features inset enamel cartouches, while the lower section of the case is mounted with a purely sculptural figure of a woman borne aloft. The gilt bronze throughout is of exceptional quality, with fine casting and chasing evident at every moment. The piece is a superb example of the work of Beurdeley.

An enamel plaque set below the dial is signed ‘A. Beurdeley / Paris,’ while the gilt bronze is stamped ‘B Y’. The movement is signed ‘J. Lefebvre Fils / Paris.’

Artist/maker: Beurdeley (French, founded 1818)