Important Parisian Mantel Clock, signed LePaute & Fils, Horloger du Roi

An important Parisian mantel clock of the Restauration period, the white enamel dial signed LePaute & Fils / Hte du Roi, Clockmaker to the King, one of the most celebrated horological dynasties in French history.

The case of dark green veined marble (verde antico) takes the form of a stepped rectangular body with a cylindrical drum recess housing the movement, raised on a separately moulded concave-fronted black marble base. The mounts throughout are in fire-gilded bronze (bronze doré au feu) of outstanding quality and sharp chasing.

The decorative programme follows the full classical vocabulary: a pair of recumbent winged sphinxes with female heads flank the dial on either side, itself encircled by a double laurel wreath with central rosette finial and engine-turned gilt bezel over a convex glass. The lower frieze panel bears a centrally placed krater flanked by two winged female figures (victoires ailées) emerging from acanthus scrollwork, finely cast and chased throughout. Four winged bird monopodia at the corners of the upper plinth and a sunburst medallion to the flank complete the decorative scheme.

The white enamel dial with Roman numerals carries blued steel hands of characteristic Empire form with open-circle counterweight to the minute hand, and two winding squares indicating an eight-day movement striking the hours and half-hours on a single bell.

Paris, circa 1815–1825

The Makers: Pierre-Basile Lepaute (1750–1843) and his son Pierre-Michel Lepaute (1785–1849) operated their workshop jointly from 1811 under the name LePaute & Fils. The Lepaute family had held the prestigious title of Horloger du Roi, Clockmaker to the King, without interruption since 1751, serving Louis XV, Louis XVI, and Napoleon I (as Horloger de l'Empereur), before resuming the royal warrant under the restored Bourbon kings Louis XVIII and Charles X from 1814. Throughout their long history the firm collaborated with the foremost sculptors and bronziers of the day, and their clocks are preserved in the most distinguished European collections, including the Château de Versailles, the Château de Fontainebleau, the Musée du Louvre, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Condition: Very good. The gilding retains an even, warm patina. The marble is intact with no visible damage. The enamel dial is uncracked and clean.

Dimensions: H. 41 x W. 33 x D. 22 cm

Literature:
Tardy, Dictionnaire des Horlogers Français, Paris, p. 384
Pierre Kjellberg, Encyclopédie de la Pendule Française du Moyen Âge au XXe siècle, Les Editions de l'Amateur, Paris
Amis du Château de Fontainebleau, Dossier Horloges, No. 12, 2016 (Lepaute clocks documented in the royal apartments)