Large French Charles X period ormolu clock representing Ceres. A monumental clock of very fine quality and with totally original fire gilded ormolu. The clock represents Ceres, the Roman goddess of corn and harvests. She was the daughter of Saturn and Vesta and had a daughter by Jupiter called Prosperine. From this came the story of the “Rape of Prosperine” and the search by Ceres for her daughter all-over Sicily. On the clock Ceres is represented by the standing figure to the left of the clock. On her head she has a garland of corn and in her left hand she carries the seed head of a poppy and some ears of corn. The clock stands on bracket feet with floral decoration. The rectangular base has a scene in deep relief of Ceres and her votaries drawn in a chariot behind two bulls (sacred to her). She is carrying a sheaf of corn and sowing seed with the other hand. A votary sits beside her with a lighted torch (representing the search for Prosperine). A man leads the bulls and may represent Triptolemus to whom she showed the secrets of farming and who in turn enlightened the world. Finely decorated mouldings of Amthemion and stiff leaf separate the base and the drum case. A fine applied ormolu mount below the dial is of two dancing maidens holding a torch between them. The gilt bronze dial is surrounded by a bezel of flowering cornucopia and the hands are of blued steel. The movement is of 8 day duration, regulated by a silk suspended pendulum and strikes the hours and halves on a cast bell by means of count wheel strike.
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Dimensions:Height: 25 in (63.5 cm)Width: 16.5 in (41.91 cm)Depth: 6.1 in (15.5 cm)
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Style:Charles X(Of the Period)
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Materials and Techniques:Ormolu
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Place of Origin:France
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Period:1820-1829
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Date of Manufacture:1820
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Condition:Good
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Seller Location:London, GB
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Reference Number:Seller: LU2015316201382
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