Clock for a Garniture Set (Cleveland Museum of Art 2020.421.1)
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1736–1770
The fascination with Chinese porcelain among aristocratic circles increased during the reign of Louis XV. In reaction to the perceived excesses of elaborate naturalistic ornament of the 1750s, mount makers increasingly turned to neoclassical designs, known as Goût Grec (Greek taste) in the 1760s and 1770s.
These beautifully chased gilt-bronze mounts feature classical Greco-Roman motifs such as lion masks, acanthus and laurel leaves, and pilasters. Cleveland Museum of Art object 2020.421.1: Clock for a Garniture Set, 1736–1770. Chinese hard-paste porcelain, gilt bronze, enameled metal; overall: 54 x 20.2 x 20.2 cm (21 1/4 x 7 15/16 x 7 15/16 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
- 3
- 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
A set of vases and clock, connected visually by the use of the same materials, often adorned a mantlepiece or the top of a large piece of furniture, such as a commode or console, within a room.
Physical characteristics
- Materials
- Chinese hard-paste porcelain, gilt bronze, enameled metal
- Dimensions
- Overall: 54 x 20.2 x 20.2 cm (21 1/4 x 7 15/16 x 7 15/16 in.)
- Measurements
- Overall: 54 x 20.2 x 20.2 cm (21 1/4 x 7 15/16 x 7 15/16 in.)
- Material and technique
- Chinese hard-paste porcelain, gilt bronze, enameled metal
Identification
- Date recorded
- 1736–1770
- Holding institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Museum object number
- 2020.421.1
- Published references
- Clifford Ackley, et al. Splendor and Elegance: European Decorative Art and Drawings from the Horace Wood Brock Collection . Boston: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 2009. Reproduced: cover Clifford Ackley, et al. Splendor and Elegance: European Decorative Art and Drawings from the Horace Wood Brock Collection . Boston: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 2009. Reproduced: Cover.
- 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.