A French Gilt Bronze Elephant Clock, Jean-Antoine Lepine

A French Gilt Bronze Elephant Clock, Jean-Antoine Lepine

(French, 1720-1814)

十八/十九世紀 法國銅鍍金太平有象鈡
製作：Jean-Antoine Lepine
標記：L'Epine/A PARIS
having a festoon hung urn form finial over the enameled dial with Roman numerals signed L'Epine/A PARIS, raised on the back of a standing elephant, further set on a mahogany base with toupie feet.

太平有象是中國文化中的吉祥寓意，乾隆朝中國成爲英法鐘錶業的主要市場后，西方鐘錶商紛紛推出面向清朝顯貴的獨特款式。本品采用白琺琅鈡盤，三、六、九時設三個弦孔，羅馬數字刻度，雙針，鈡盤略有傷，瑕不掩瑜，仍是不可多得的精品。
Height 18 x width 12 x depth 5 3/4 in., 45.7 x 30.5 x 14.6 cm.
Property from the Halim Time & Glass Museum, Evanston, Illinois Clocks, Barometers & Scientific Instruments
At the time of writing, the movement is functioning, with quarter strike and hour chimes, though not tested for duration or accuracy, and will require service from an horologist. No key present. The dial with some rubbing and enamel losses about the perimeter. The top urn possibly missing a finial, though this possible defect does not detract from the overall impression of the work. The case (elephant) with some surface scratches and rubbing.

Jean-Antoine Lepine (1720-1814) was the son of a music box maker who made music boxes for Louis XVI. Lepine fortuitously married the daughter of Andre Charles Caron, a prominent French clockmaker, and was then immediately made partner in his father-in-law’s firm. Such an arrangement made it possible for Lepine to forego an apprenticeship and rise quickly. Luck notwithstanding, his extraordinary skills and ingenious inventiveness, made him one of the most important French clockmakers of the age.

Lepine is among the few horological geniuses who change the trajectory of the field. His ‘Lepine calibre,” circa 1760, revolutionized watchmaking. Prior to his intervention, watches were thick, cumbersome and difficult to adjust. Lepine’s revolutionary caliber allowed for a thinner watch, and spurred further technical and aesthetic advancements within his native France. He continued to perfect the design throughout his career, streamlining access and making repairs easier, while increasing their value.

As was the practice in French clockmaking, Lepine worked with a select group of highly respected artisans to add the aesthetic elements that make French clocks unique. This was still under the watchful and discerning eye of the master. Lepine developed his own unique numeral “1” encased in a circle, so that it better balanced the numeral “11.” The expert French dial painters executed this unique and aesthetically pleasing feature. His clocks were often incorporated in gilt bronze sculpture by the finest craftsmen.

Please note this Lot is to be sold at No Reserve 本拍品不設底價