19th-Century Neo-Rococo, Gilded Louis XVI-Style Clock—Putto on a Neoclassical Column, Andrzej Czernik Collection, ZEGARMISTRZOSTWO
An impressive mantel clock made of cast, chiseled, and gilded metal (bronze?). A historicist composition combining Neorococo elements with Neoclassical ornamentation and forms reminiscent of the Louis XVI style.
The mechanism housing is set within a cylindrical pedestal resembling a fragment of a classical column, decorated on the sides with shallow fluting. Seated on the pedestal is a winged putto, identified as Cupid. The childlike figure is depicted nude, with a headband or wreath in his hair and a pair of intricately detailed wings. Cupid bows his head over a lyre resting on his knees, adorned with a floral garland, and holds a small flowering twig in his raised hand. The relaxed posture, softly modeled anatomy, and decoratively arranged drapery lend the depiction a picturesque quality.
A round, white enamel dial framed by a profiled bezel with a pearl finish. The hours are marked with black Roman numerals, and a subtle minute scale runs along the outer edge. Two openwork Breguet-style hands. At the bottom of the dial are two openings for winding the mechanism—the time-keeping mechanism and the striking mechanism.
An elaborate, rectangular base with rounded side projections rests on four profiled legs. Its surface is covered with applied compositions of flowers, leaves, bows, quivers, and burning torches. In the center of the front, a pair of doves facing each other is depicted, set among flowers and twigs. The combination of Cupid, a lyre, doves, flowers, torches, and quivers creates an elaborate allegory of love, harmony, and fidelity. This ornamentation draws on the decorative repertoire of late 18th-century French clocks, which was revived in European arts and crafts during the second half of the 19th century.
On the back of the base is a later inscription indicating ownership: “PROPERTY OF / ANDRZEJ CZERNIK / WARSAW.”
Total height: 48 cm.
Width of the base at its widest point: 38 cm.
Depth: approximately 24–25 cm.
Condition: as shown in the photos. Some parts are loose.
Mechanism condition: unknown.
An impressive mantel clock made of cast, chiseled, and gilded metal (bronze?). A historicist composition combining Neorococo elements with Neoclassical ornamentation and forms reminiscent of the Louis XVI style.
The mechanism housing is set within a cylindrical pedestal resembling a fragment of a classical column, decorated on the sides with shallow fluting. Seated on the pedestal is a winged putto, identified as Cupid. The childlike figure is depicted nude, with a headband or wreath in his hair and a pair of intricately detailed wings. Cupid bows his head over a lyre resting on his knees, adorned with a floral garland, and holds a small flowering twig in his raised hand. The relaxed posture, softly modeled anatomy, and decoratively arranged drapery lend the depiction a picturesque quality.
A round, white enamel dial framed by a profiled bezel with a pearl finish. The hours are marked with black Roman numerals, and a subtle minute scale runs along the outer edge. Two openwork Breguet-style hands. At the bottom of the dial are two openings for winding the mechanism—the time-keeping mechanism and the striking mechanism.
An elaborate, rectangular base with rounded side projections rests on four profiled legs. Its surface is covered with applied compositions of flowers, leaves, bows, quivers, and burning torches. In the center of the front, a pair of doves facing each other is depicted, set among flowers and twigs. The combination of Cupid, a lyre, doves, flowers, torches, and quivers creates an elaborate allegory of love, harmony, and fidelity. This ornamentation draws on the decorative repertoire of late 18th-century French clocks, which was revived in European arts and crafts during the second half of the 19th century.
On the back of the base is a later inscription indicating ownership: “PROPERTY OF / ANDRZEJ CZERNIK / WARSAW.”
Total height: 48 cm.
Width of the base at its widest point: 38 cm.
Depth: approximately 24–25 cm.
Condition: as shown in the photos. Some parts are loose.
Mechanism condition: unknown.
