PORTAL CLOCK WITH DAY AND DATE

PORTAL CLOCK WITH DAY AND DATE

Louis XVI, Paris ca. 1780. On a blue enamel cartouche, signed Bouchet Horloger du Roi. (Jean Louis Bouchet, Vinantes 1737-1792 Paris).

White and black marble, and gilt bronze. Portal clock, the pillars with blue biscuit-porcelain reserves in the style of Wedgewood. Bronze mounts, designed as flowering branches, arrows and rosettes. White enamel dial, below, 2 additional dials for the day and date. Fine gilt hands. Parisian movement, striking the 1/2-hour on bell. No key.

34 x 12 x 49 cm.

The biscuit-porcelain plates are different, one is slightly oval, probably replaced. Minor losses.

Provenance:
- Collection Friedrich von Tscharner (1868–1952), Berne.
- By succession, Swiss private collection.

J.L. Bouchet was a "compagnon" of P. Gille l'Ainé and A.C. Caron and received the title of maître in 1762. Furthermore, he held the title "Horloger du Roi par livraisons au Garde-Meuble" and was responsible for the maintenance of the pendulum clocks in the Bellevue Palace during the reign of King Louis XV.

Comparative Literature:
- J.D. Augarde, Les ouvriers du temps, Geneva 1996; p. 285 and p. 284 (Fig. 218, a skeleton pendulum clock by J.L. Bouchet with a fine movement "à complications" and astronomical information).