French Louis XVI Style Mantel Clock in Gilded Bronze

Opulent and stylish watch in French gilt bronze Louis XVI style; the decorations that surround the rectangular base are rich and showy; above there is depicted a graceful girl who observes smug two small birds in the nest and tends their hands, a gentle and graceful representation; the two birds were originally colored; the entire job has been executed by a master goldsmith expert in France between 1810 and 1815. The procedure was that of bronze lost wax casting of the various elements, which were then chased with extraordinary skill and delicacy to create surfaces finely varied; to finish the whole, it proceeded to gilding mercury or fire gilding, in which a mercury nitrate solution is applied to a piece of copper, brass or bronze; followed by the application of a gold amalgam and mercury. The object is then exposed to extreme heat until the mercury vaporizes and gold remains, adhering permanently metal object; the artifacts of this type reached their maximum artistic and technical development right in France; The process was very complex and extremely harmful and dangerous for operators, in fact, the 1830 French law forbade its use for health reasons; this type of browning has an exceptional resistance to wear, not like the gilding executed after 1830 by galvanic method! The clock, a double charge, has the gray dial decorated with fine incisions (with the time they were formed light marks on its surface), the Arabic numerals and the hands are authentic, very particular, it is the hour hand, it is also accompanied by the the original key; the mechanism is intact, but needs to be checked and oiled by a watchmaker. Our clock is a beautiful example of Louis XVI style that is characterized by its classic lines and simple, created with harmony and proportion can give the whole an air of elegance and refined furnishings. Measurements width cm.29, depth cm, 32 cm height.

Mechanism works but requires to be checked and oiled by clockmaker.