Directoire-Style Skeleton Clock in Gilded Bronze, Signed 'Le Roy à Paris'
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
Late 18th century
This French Directoire-period skeleton clock in chiseled and gilded bronze features a dial signed 'Le Roy à Paris'. The white enamel dial exhibits Roman hour numerals and Arabic five-minute intervals, set within an openwork foliate gilt-bronze ring surmounted by an eagle with outstretched wings.
The structure rests on four baluster-crested columns decorated with smooth, guilloché, and chiseled sections above a circular base raised on four feet. The pendulum bob consists of a pierced circular medallion with an eagle modeled in relief. The seller reports a two-train mechanical movement striking on a bell.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Type
- Skeleton mantel clock
- Height
- 38.5 cm
- Diameter
- 12 cm
- Material
- Chiseled and gilded bronze
- Movement type
- Mechanical two-train movement with bell chime
- Place recorded
- France
- Maker's signature
- Le Roy à Paris
- Maker / attribution
- Le Roy
Design
- Visible features
- • White enamel dial displays Roman hour numerals and Arabic five-minute markings with visible hairline cracks near 7 and 8 o'clock. • A gilded bronze eagle with outstretched wings crowns the circular pierced dial surround. • The pendulum bob consists of a circular pierced disc with a raised eagle figure. • The clock structure is elevated on four turned and patterned columns standing on a circular plinth with small feet.
- Dial and Visual Condition
- The clock features a circular white enamel dial signed 'Le Roy à Paris' at the bottom. The dial displays Roman hour numerals and an Arabic numeral minute track, accompanied by slender gilded brass hands. The enamel surface shows signs of wear, specifically reported as chips, cracks, and small areas of loss.
- Mechanism and Documentation
- The clock contains a two-train mechanical movement with a bell chime. The source documentation refers to the pendulum as a 'balance wheel,' though this terminology is inconsistent with the functional description of a skeleton clock pendulum. Internal components such as the movement plates are not visible in the provided reference imagery.
- Identity and Aesthetic Design
- This skeleton clock is executed in chiseled and gilded bronze. The source attributes the piece to the Directoire period, noting that it incorporates neoclassical motifs such as the eagle. The structure features an openwork design elevated on four columns, which alternate between smooth, guilloché, and chiseled surfaces. The dial is surmounted by an eagle, and a second eagle in relief appears within the pendulum's pierced medallion.
Identification
- Reference
- 1814380
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
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: Dial exhibits chips, hairline cracks, and enamel loss visible near the lower numerals.
- Research required: Source text mistakenly refers to the pendulum bob as a 'balance wheel' ('The balance wheel, which is particularly decorative, is adorned at its center with a second eagle').
- Research required: Internal movement plates and bell are not directly visible in the provided frontal photograph.