An Empire ormolu and patinated bronze mantel 'Retour d'Egypte' clock circa 1805, the dial signed Vaillant à Paris

Sotheby's Paris, June 25, 2003, lot 120

Patinated bronze with some light rubbing and surface dirt. Ormolu with some rubbing, surface dirt, and traces of oxidation. Dial with small restored area between hours 12 and 1. Feet probably replaced. In good overall condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Decorated with the figures of Horus and the Apis Bull, this clock is an archetypal product of Egyptomania, the hugely popular revival of and fascination with ancient Egyptian culture in Europe after Napoleon's Egyptian Campaign between 1798 and 1801. An identical clock is in the Château de Compiègne, see in Jean-Marcel Humbert, Egyptomania in Western Art, Paris, 1989, p. 183, while another clock of this model was sold Sotheby's, London, June 12, 1992, lot 319. That clock is signed Cachard, whereas the dial of this lot is by the Parisian Jacques-François Vaillant, who became master watchmaker in 1750.