The Invitation to Happiness - Delicate pendulum-terminal in finely chiseled and gilded bronze dedicated to Flora, divinity of Spring and nascent Life. Parisian work from the Restoration period, circa 1820.
-Depicted as a young woman with hair done and clothes in the Antique, the Roman goddess sports, her face slightly inclined, a luxuriant garland of flowers; at her feet, rests a Medici vase adorned with a bloom of spring flowers. On its left flank, stands, containing the movement, a Altar shaped terminal: topped with a horn of plenty of form Rhythm enriched with intertwined bouquets and crowns, it is adorned with florets, anthemums and palmettes, and arranged in spandrels, fine motifs of myrtle crowns ribboned flowers crossed with Flaming flares. Surrounded by a frieze of interlacing punctuated with quadrilobed flowers, the white enameled annular dial centered on a gilded bronze disk azure with radiant motifs indicates the hours in Roman numerals by two partridge-eye hands.
A high quadrangular base supports the whole: surrounded by a frieze of water leaves, it is richly decorated with alternating motifs of winged sphinxessupporting garlands of flowers and rosettes, volutes, acanthus foliage, palmette fleurons forming thyrsuses. The whole is magnified by a large counter-base placed on four feet in flattened balls with refined patterns of water leaves, pearls and braided ropes.
A similar model presenting a variation in the decoration of appliques adorning the base is reproduced in Tardy's work, The French Clock, Part Two: From Louis XVI to the Present Day - The Louis XVIII-Charles X Style, p. 434, fig. 4: « Gilt bronze clock, applied motifs representing L'Abondance. Enamelled dial signed L. Toussaint in Liège. Probably French bronze sold in Liège. Brussels, J.-B. collection. In the same work, we will mention, p.435, fig. 3: "Resauration clock in gilt bronze Flore signed by Le Roy Horloger du Roy in Paris. Maizel collection, Vittel".
- With a dense symbolism under the guise of a soberly ordered composition, this pendulum-terminal all of delicacy fashioned is among the most elegant Parisian watchmaking achievements with mythological subjects of the second decade of the 19th century. Dedicated to the wife of Zephyr, allegory of the west wind - of which " the sweetness of the breath (…) gives life to flowers and fruits” (Lacombe de Prezel, 1779, p.307) - who sealed his union with the nymph by offering her the Eternal springl, it is conceived as a subtle play on the myth of Flora and spring fertility.
Her fine dress hemmed with undulating folds, Flora cstyled in a bun with Roses in buds, with a dancing step, displays a garland of bellflowers and fritillaries. The young woman, with a haughty bearing, tilts her face to the left, illuminated by a sweet smile; her attention is focused on two objects riveted to the entablature of an Altar with an overflowing pediment. Near two intertwined flowered crowns, an allusion to the loving alliance of the two divinities, rises a superb Horn of Plenty loaded with opulent foliage. Finished in a ram's head, the shape rhython adopted refers, in addition to the legend of'Amalthea, at the Dionysian festivities celebrated in Spring and Autumn in honor of Bacchus, divinity attached to the pleasures of fertile Nature.
This spring prodigality born from the union of Flora with Zephyr is found in all the elements of the decor: sumptuous vase floral arrangement; cmyrtle crowns flowery, interlaced centered on quadrilobed flowerss, f racelures parent the altar. Alternated with thyrsus floretss springing from leafy scrolls, winged sphinxess with busts covered in acanthus animate the base; linked together by floral garlands, these female figures with heads haloed with roses are by their anthropomorphic character a éto the mysteries of fertilizing Nature.
-Freed from imperial rule, thea Restoration (1815-1830) will bring back into the spotlight the myth of Flora. Particularly appreciated from this period which, wishing to break with the noble gravity of the Empire stylee, privileges in the decorative arts the amiable taste with gay finery, the smiling figure of Flora overlooks, seated or standing, the covering of the clocks then produced (See ivonography given in the works of Tardy or Pierre Kjellberg, Encyclopedia of the French Clock, Paris, Ed. de l'Amateur, pp. 394, 431). We will add thatyears the pendulum object, Flora preluctance to Dawn: In our clock, the gilded bronze disc with radiant azure patterns evokes the solar star, the source of all fulfillment. In this case, Royaux..
In fact, certain stylistic characteristics invite us to situate this pendulum-terminal around the years 1820-1830. Subject taken from Greco-Roman mythology, rigorous symmetry of the composition, decorative motifs inspired by Antiquity, female figure close to the dancers of the Dining room of the Château de Malmaison (1800) still adhere to the aesthetic precepts inherited from the Empire Style. This measured classicism is, on the other hand, enhanced by the goldwork applied to all the ornamental and floral elements which creates a feeling of gentle richness.
Ttreated with femininity as the Restoration era liked to do, this delicate and exquisite evocation of Flora, goddess of Flowers, Spring and all Rebirth is an Invitation to Happiness Rediscovered.
-Doriginal gold.
– Mechanism restored and revised by our watchmaker. In working order and guaranteed for one year.
