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Source Description
French clockmaking at the time of Louis XVI is unsurpassed in the delicacy and grace of its decoration and in the imagination displayed in its forms. Perhaps the most elegant shape was that of the lyre, derived from the ancient Greek musical instrument. It was introduced as early as 1758 and was employed for important clocks throughout the remainder of the century. The body of this example is of Sèvres porcelain with exceptionally fine, applied, gilt-bronze ornaments. The upper part of the pendulum is formed to represent the strings of the instrument. The dial face is enameled with signs of the zodiac by the distinguished Geneva-born artist Jean Coteau (ca. 1739-1812), and is signed Kinable (active 1780-1825).
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
7287
label
Mantel Clock in the Form of a Lyre
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
7287
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Mantel Clock in the Form of a Lyre
description
French clockmaking at the time of Louis XVI is unsurpassed in the delicacy and grace of its decoration and in the imagination displayed in its forms. Perhaps the most elegant shape was that of the lyre, derived from the ancient Greek musical instrument. It was introduced as early as 1758 and was employed for important clocks throughout the remainder of the century. The body of this example is of Sèvres porcelain with exceptionally fine, applied, gilt-bronze ornaments. The upper part of the pendulum is formed to represent the strings of the instrument. The dial face is enameled with signs of the zodiac by the distinguished Geneva-born artist Jean Coteau (ca. 1739-1812), and is signed Kinable (active 1780-1825).
provenance
Lord Willoughby d'Eresby; E. M. Hodgkins [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; William T. / Henry Walters Collection, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
date
ca. 1780-1800
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Timepieces, Clocks & Watches
clocks
imageCount
1
pageCount
1
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
61
height
29.2
depth
15.2
dimensionsRaw
H: 24 × W: 11 1/2 × D: 6 in. (61 × 29.2 × 15.2 cm)
Source extras
med
soft paste porcelain, ormolu mounts, and gilt bronze
creator_ids
2134
1916
collection_ids
EAN
exhibition_ids
146
948
316
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
cc806b65765755f7