Clock (Cleveland Museum of Art 1967.153)
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
c. 1695
Appointed cabinetmaker to King Louis XIV in 1672, André-Charles Boulle became a master of furniture making in France during the late 1600s until his death in 1732. Known primarily for his use of marquetry, in which metal patterns are inlaid into tortoiseshell then applied within the veneered surface of the furniture, Boulle established a level of quality and craftsmanship few others could achieve. As a result, his work found favor at the royal court and among other aristocrats and diplomats eager to impress the king. Often exhibiting stout architectural proportions with elegant groups of inlaid motifs, Boulle’s designs are an example of the intellectual fashion for contrasting ideas, materials, and motifs. With its relatively new scientific invention of a pendulum mechanism and the addition of a barometer, the mantel clock represented the wealth, prestige, and intellect of its owner. Cleveland Museum of Art object 1967.153: Clock, c. 1695. André-Charles Boulle (French, 1642–1732), Balthazar Martinot II (French, 1636–1714). Tortoise shell and brass inlay, gilt bronze; overall: 113.7 cm (44 3/4 in.). Details are those of this museum object; how far it represents a wider type has not been independently verified.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 4
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
The Latin phrase inscribed on this clock, Dirigit atque movet, can be translated as "time constantly moves on."
Physical characteristics
- Materials
- tortoise shell and brass inlay, gilt bronze
- Dimensions
- Overall: 113.7 cm (44 3/4 in.)
- Measurements
- Overall: 113.7 cm (44 3/4 in.)
- Material and technique
- tortoise shell and brass inlay, gilt bronze
Identification
- Date recorded
- c. 1695
- Culture period
- France, late 17th Century
- Maker recorded
- André-Charles Boulle (French, 1642–1732), Balthazar Martinot II (French, 1636–1714)
- Museum attribution
- André-Charles Boulle (French, 1642–1732); Balthazar Martinot II (French, 1636–1714)
- Holding institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Museum object number
- 1967.153
- Published references
- “Year in Review.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 54, no. 10 (December 1967): 302–346. Reproduced: p. 317; Mentioned: p. 341, no. 4 · Bruhn, Thomas P. “A Boulle Clock.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 55, no. 10 (December 1968): 315–320. Mentioned and reproduced: p. 315-318, figs. 1, 3 · The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969 . Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969. Reproduced: p. 132 · The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978 . Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 174 · May, Sally Ruth. Knockouts: a pocket guide. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2001. Reproduced: no. 39, p. 41
- Museum classification
- Furniture and woodwork
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: this record describes a single museum object; confirm the wider type, maker attribution and specifications against horological references.