Datei:Jacques Joseph Castagnet circa 1790 (3).jpg

Superb French Marble, Ormolu and Enamel Skeleton Clock circa 1790.
Maker: Jacques Joseph Castagnet – Clockmaker
Georges Adrien Merlet – Enameler

Case: Supporting the mechanism are two thick arched frames with applied beaded edges with the front frame carrying a blue enamel plaque decorated with gilt stars. They stand upon ormolu multi-piece columns that are supported by a stepped variegated rouge marble base on four bun feet.

Dial: The finely lettered white porcelain dial with multi-colored lettering is by Merlet and is signed along the bottom edge ‘GM’. The Roman numerals for the hours and the Arabic five-minute marks are both in black while the rest of the complications are primarily in red with slight additions of blue. These include the days of the week opposed by their zodiac signs, a 31-day calendar and the clock-maker’s signature, ‘Castagnet a Paris’. There are also a host of finely cut hands that include a serpentine shaped steel date indicator, a double sided steel cut serpentine shaped indicator for the days/zodiac symbols, a sweep second and elaborate ormolu hour and minute hands. Surmounting the time dial is the white porcelain moon dial that shows the 29.5 day Lunar cycle as the moon, set in a blue sky with gilt stars, travels across a shaped aperture.

Movement: The superb eight-day three train movement has a partially skeletonized back plate, exceptional finely-cut wheelwork, a pinwheel escapement with opposing steel pallets, decorative count-wheels for both the quarter and hour strikes and three graduated bells. The quarter striking train also advances the moon dial once per day. The seven rod grid-iron pendulum carries the screwed beat adjustment and is suspended by knife-edge suspension. Notes: Georges-Adrien Merlet, 1754-1812, was one of the great enamellers of the 18th and early 19th centuries along with Coteau and Dubuisson. He apprenticed under Berbezet, worked with some of the great makers including Lepaute, Bertoud and Folin and also offered wonderfully enameled clocks under his own name. The main dial carries the initials ‘GM’ along the bottom edge while the other enamel parts carry the initials on the reverse sides. The movement was supplied by the Parisian clockmaker Jacques-Joseph Castagnet (1729-30 – 1803-4), who became a master in 1776. He is listed as working from Rue St. Martin and was appointed a député of his guild 1779-83 and a syndic in 1786. Although few clocks carry his signature, the ones that do are of exceptional quality. For a similar example see: The Getty Museum Collection:
http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=6205
For additional examples see: ‘La Pendule Francais’, pg. 315.

Sundial Farm Antique Clocks Ltd.

Lizenz

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