Vire clock in carved quarter-sawn oak – Vire, 19th century

Very rare Manche clock in molded and carved oak.

This model, which displays the principal characteristics of furniture produced in the workshops of Vire, came as a genuine surprise to us (and should be so for any enthusiast of Lower Normandy furniture), as we had never before encountered a true Vire clock—and the few colleagues from Lower Normandy whom we consulted on this point likewise seem not to have discovered one.

It is nevertheless worth recalling the existence of a Vire “demoiselle” clock in cherrywood, long held in the collections of the Musée de Villedieu-les-Poëles, as well as another illustrated in Suzanne Tardieu’s book Le mobilier régional français, in the section devoted to Normandy. However, these latter two examples, though unquestionably Vire-made, do not evoke as immediately as this one the famous wardrobes of Vire.

Indeed, this clock features a stepped cornice and slender columns exactly comparable to those found on Vire wardrobes and sideboards, as well as carved decoration with motifs and a fineness of execution characteristic of works produced by Vire sculptors. Moreover, it is entirely made of high-quality oak, with all visible parts in quarter-sawn oak (chêne merrain), which is yet another hallmark of the Vire workshops.

The complete and original movement is a Comtois type, decorated in repoussé with a village dance scene.

This clock also has a story, one that its last owner wished to share with us (somewhat surprised that we immediately attributed it to Vire, despite encountering it in Loire-Atlantique): on the evening of June 6, 1944, just before the bombings, his ancestors hastily fled the town of Vire—the mother taking the children by the hand, and the father pushing a wheelbarrow containing this very clock, along with bread and carrots for the evening meal… the essentials, in short!
A fine story that recalls the importance once held by the venerable clock.

Exceptional overall condition of the case, with a perfect waxed finish.
Complete movement in working order.

Norman work from Vire, first half of the 19th century.

Dimensions:
Height: 2.46 m
Width: 42 cm
Depth: 27 cm
Cornice overhangs: width 59.5 cm – depth 36 cm