Style Louis XIV / Ref.10844

Important gilt bronze clock with griffins and solar mask, late 19th century

This beautiful gilt bronze clock with abundant ornamentation is characteristic of the 19th-century eclecticism which impacted also decorative arts.
Dimensions, material and clock decoration make it very imposing. It was designed as miniature architecture : the columns on the sides structure the clock which is capped by a dome, as a Pantheon. The two griffins present on both sides are reminiscent of the gargoyles that adorn the Gothic cathedrals. Their presence on this object is a trace of the Middle Ages rediscovery in the 1815-1820 which give new motifs to artists. It’s the neo-Gothic style and these religious architecture derivative which give a certain sacrality to this clock. Otherwise, griffin is a recurring motif during the Second Empire.
Legendary creature found in the arts since ancient times, griffin is associated with strength and power, and the presence of several lions heads strengthens this symbolic.
This clock is also adorned with shells, bellflowers and acanthus leaves which are inspired by Louis XV style. The 18th century, recurring in the 19th century arts, especially thanks to Empress Eugenie who was passionate about Marie Antoinette, persits at the end of the century. This reminiscence maintains a link between the two centuries, and the fleur-de-lis on the dome top follows on from this nostalgia.
The pendulum is adorned with a face surrounded by sun rays. It is a representation of the solar deity, or more specifically of the god Helios in the Greek mythology and whose iconography is often close to it.
No place is left empty and the patterns are inspired by many sources. This richness, both in the decor and the material used, is a legacy of Napoleon III style, and more broadly of eclectic movement born in the nineteenth century. Made at the end of the century, this clock is at once a condensation and a reinterpretation of past styles.