Musical mantel clock (Pendule avec boîte à musique)
Both functional and highly decorative, gilt-bronze mounts and bronzes d’ameublement such as wall-lights, firedogs and clocks, played an important role in the French eighteenth-century interior. The artists, designers and sculptors responsible for their designs closely followed the latest stylistic changes.
Eighteenth-century French clockmakers took full advance of the luxury trades that flourished in Paris and beyond as they worked together to create movements to provide domestic clocks with splendid cases in various materials. The clock case and music box consist of scrolls and foliated branches, while a bag pipe decorates the front of the music box. The dial and back plate of this clock are signed MARTRE A BORDEAUX, a clockmaker about whom little is known. A Jean Baptiste Martre was born in Bordeaux in 1734 and remained active until 1785. Neither do we have any information about the bronze caster Dumont who signed the rococo-style case twice. Similar clock cases exist by Dumont with movements by other clockmakers. The fleur-de-lys mark found both on the clock case and the music box is unrecorded but may indicate a royal provenance.
The musical movement in the music box is composed of a set of steel bells struck by hammers tripped by a revolving drum. A rod which releases the musical movement passes from the clock through the tree trunk on top of the box.
It is likely that the clock would have been placed on a mantelpiece in front of a large mirror so that the ornate and intricate openwork design of the back, reminiscent of lace, would have been visible in the mirror’s reflection.
Eighteenth-century French clockmakers took full advance of the luxury trades that flourished in Paris and beyond as they worked together to create movements to provide domestic clocks with splendid cases in various materials. The clock case and music box consist of scrolls and foliated branches, while a bag pipe decorates the front of the music box. The dial and back plate of this clock are signed MARTRE A BORDEAUX, a clockmaker about whom little is known. A Jean Baptiste Martre was born in Bordeaux in 1734 and remained active until 1785. Neither do we have any information about the bronze caster Dumont who signed the rococo-style case twice. Similar clock cases exist by Dumont with movements by other clockmakers. The fleur-de-lys mark found both on the clock case and the music box is unrecorded but may indicate a royal provenance.
The musical movement in the music box is composed of a set of steel bells struck by hammers tripped by a revolving drum. A rod which releases the musical movement passes from the clock through the tree trunk on top of the box.
It is likely that the clock would have been placed on a mantelpiece in front of a large mirror so that the ornate and intricate openwork design of the back, reminiscent of lace, would have been visible in the mirror’s reflection.
Artwork Details
- Title: Musical mantel clock (Pendule avec boîte à musique)
- Maker: Clockmaker: Jean Baptiste Martre (born 1734, working 1770–85)
- Maker: Case possibly by Jacques Dumont (active 1748–88)
- Date: ca. 1770
- Culture: French, Bordeaux
- Medium: Case of gilt bronze
- Dimensions: H. 30-1/8 x W. 23-3/8 x D. 10-1/2 in. (76.5 x 59.4 x 26.7 cm)
- Classification: Horology
- Credit Line: Gift of Samuel H. Kress Foundation, 1958
- Object Number: 58.75.60
- Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Nicolas II Fauveau the Elder
Nicolas François Fauveau
first quarter 18th century
Gabriel Tillet
1724–25
Pierre Vernede
ca. 1650
Jean-Baptiste-André Furet
ca. 1784
Jean Godde l'aîné
Charles Cressent
ca. 1740–45
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.