A good French Empire ormolu sculptural mantel clock, Cleret Elève de Robin, circa 1829

9-cm enamel dial reverse marked Fevrier 1829 with Roman numerals signed Cleret Elève de Robin and Breguet hands, countwheel bell striking anchor movement marked CL 1812 lacking silk suspended pendulum, ormolu case with moulded broken arch top and herms to the sides, a finely pierced drape below, a seated lady holding her playful baby while she listens to the evening prayer of her other child kneeling next to a crib, break arch base with applied medallions and foliate mounts raised on tapered feet, bronzework of high quality

The model of this clock was designed by the famous J.A. Reiche. The subject of this clock has been connected to the birth of the Duke of Bordeaux in 1820. Because his father fell victim to political murder his birth became the story of the time. He was called l'enfant du miracle (wonderchild). But because J.A. Reiche had already designed this clock before 1820 this can never have been his intent. Lit. E. Niehüser, Die französische Bronzeuhr, pp.165-166. P. Kjellberg, Encyclopédie de la pendule française du moyen age au xxe siècle, pp. 429.