French Japanism Champleve Enamel Ormolu Mounted Clock, Christofle & Cie, 1800s

Description

French Japanism Champlevé Enamel Ormolu Mounted Clock, Christofle & Cie. The clock consists of a spherical champlevé enamel body mounted in an ormolu structure. The enamel surface is decorated with a combination of deep blue and turquoise backgrounds, featuring floral and foliate motifs. The clock face is inset into the sphere, surrounded by a gilt bezel with an engraved border. The dial consists of a gilded center with a raised relief floral motif, and individual white enamel plaques with black numerals indicating the hours. The hands are shaped in an ornate style and are affixed at the center. At the top of the clock, a gilt bronze figure of a reclining man in traditional Asian-style attire is affixed, with one arm extended over the curvature of the sphere. The base is ormolu, cast with a stylized bat or dragon motif with outstretched wings and an expressive face. The structure rests on a square ormolu plinth with four feet, featuring relief-molded decorative elements including scrolls, floral motifs, and a central shell-like detail. The ormolu base is signed “Christofle & Cie” along one of the supports. This type of clock is rare due to the combination of champlevé enamel and ormolu-mounted design in a Japanism aesthetic, particularly from Christofle & Cie, a manufacturer known for producing luxury decorative arts. Christofle, founded in 1830 by Charles Christofle, was a leading French firm specializing in silver and gilt-bronze works, producing objects in a variety of historicist and exotic revival styles. The company collaborated with renowned designers and applied advanced metalworking techniques to create elaborate decorative items, including clocks, lighting, and tableware. France, Circa: 1880

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