A fine Mugnier Laine A Paris No. 14 pendulum clock from 1779, crafted from the finest marble and bronze
Key facts
- Production time
- 1779
- Country of manufacture
- France
Description
A fine Parisian pendulum clock in Carrara marble and fire-gilt bronze by Mugnier Laine (horloger de l’Empereur, clockmaker to His Majesty) circa 1779 The exquisite case is made of Carrara marble and red, veined marble; the square movement compartment rests on a plinth supported by four flattened spherical feet, flanked by two marble volutes, with a marble sphere forming the upper finial. The case is adorned with a beaded moulding all round. It is largely well preserved (with typical chips at the corners); however, the marble of the actual clock case has been glued (front and rear plates made of red marble, see photographs). The movement is superbly crafted; it is driven by two mainsprings, the cogs (reverse-cut, finely polished), and the plates are made of hammered (hardened) brass sheet (bearings showing only slight wear); it strikes the half-hours and full hours on a bell (very delicate tone), and is also engraved with: Mugnier Lné a Paris No. 14 The dial is also marked ‘Mugnier Laine’; it has hairline cracks around the edge and is slightly chipped (see photographs). The delicate Louis XVI hands, made of gilded brass, are also original. The movement has been fully overhauled. Dimensions: Height: 40 cm Width: 31 cm Depth: 10.5 cm