"Cupid" Clock signed F. Berthoud, France circa 1880

Signed on the dial F. Berthoud Paris

Important gilded and patinated clock representing Cupid holding a drape which discovers a dial placed on a truncated fluted column. He points out his attributes, a torch and a quiver, supported by a flowery cloud. The nicely enamelled dial indicates with a blued steel hand the day and with two openwork gilded bronze hands the hours and minutes. It’s signed by F. Berthoud Paris.

It rests on a rectangular base in « vert de mer » marble, underlined in the upper part by a double frieze in gilded bronze with flower and interlacing patterns, and in the lower part by a frieze of acanthus leaves. Ending on four large feet in gilded bronze.


The signature on the dial evokes Ferdinand Berthoud (1727-1807), Swiss clock-maker who moved to Paris in 1747 and became maître in 1754. In 1786, he was appointed « horloger pensionnaire du roi » and « Inspecteur général des machines pour la Marine » after the success of his marine clocks, an area in which he specialized himself. In 1795, he was elected in the Institut in the Mechanical Arts section. He received the légion d’Honneur in 1804, as a member of the Institut.

One of his clock is sold during the sale of the duc d’Aumale in 1782 and another one during the sale of Choiseul in 1786, the bronzes made by P. Gouthière.