Louis XV gilt-bronze and porcelain mantel clock by Gille L'Ainé, Paris
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
ca. 1750
This ornate Louis XV mantel clock, crafted in Paris circa 1750, features a distinctive waisted gilt-bronze case. The body is characterized by elaborate rocaille, foliage, and C-scroll motifs, standing on four elegant scroll feet.
The pierced structure is backed with red silk and further embellished with vibrant porcelain flowers mounted on green tole stems. The enameled dial is marked with Roman numerals and Arabic chapters, accented by a gilt fleur-de-lis between each hour. The dial is inscribed with the maker's signature, "GILLE L'AINE / A PARIS." The timepiece comes complete with its original key and pendulum. Measuring approximately 20-1/2 inches in height, 16-1/4 inches in width, and 5-1/2 inches in depth, the piece exhibits decorative craftsmanship typical of the mid-18th-century French style.
While the flowers remain intact, the porcelain dial shows minor chips around the winding porthole and near the numerical chapters, and the green stems show light signs of paint loss consistent with age.
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.
Physical characteristics
- Depth
- 5-1/2 inches
- Width
- 16-1/4 inches
- Height
- 20-1/2 inches
- Materials
- gilt-bronze, porcelain, tole, silk
Technical characteristics
- Numerals
- Roman and Arabic
- Dial type
- enameled
- Accessories
- key and pendulum
Design
- Inscriptions
- GILLE L'AINE / A PARIS
- Ornamentation
- foliage, rocaille, C-scrolls, porcelain flowers, fleur-de-lis
Identification
- Source note
- Described from a single auction-house listing published on Invaluable (reproduced with Invaluable's permission). Details apply to that one example; other examples of the type may differ, and the listing is supplementary evidence, not authentication.
- Maker named in listing
- Gille L'Ainé
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.