J.-P. DEVILLE ET FRÈRES active circa 1830 to circa 1880 "GAINE DE FONTAINEBLEAU," A Napoléon III Louis XIV style gilt bronze mounted ebonized and Boulle style marquetry pendule de parquet Paris, circa 1870-75

the boulle marquetry comprising brass, engraved pewter, mother of pearl, red and green stained tortoiseshell, the tapering gaine fitted to its proper left side with a door opening to three shelves; the blue and white enameled dial inscribed LEMAZURIER/A PARIS, the twin train movement stamped LENZKIRCH and numbered 433173, one corner chute has been removed to reveal the mark DEV form the bronze master model

H. Ottomeyer, D. Pröschel et. al., Vergoldete Bronzen, Munich, 1986, p. 43, fig. 1.3.4 for the circa 1725 model now in the Royal Palace, Residenz., Munich.

P. Kjellberg, Encyclopédie de la Pendule Française du Moyent Age au XXième siècle, Paris, 1997, p. 61, pl. C  for the illustration of the Fontainebleau clock

Overall in good condition with the usual minor scratches, dents and nicks to veneers and carcass consistent with age and use. Tarnishing to gilt-bronze in places. Please note that the movement has not been checked for functionality. However, the movement is complete and may be put into a working state by a professional horologist.
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.

The original model for the 'Chariot of Apollo' clock was almost certainly made by the celebrated cabinetmaker André Charles Boulle; however it is interesting to note that this attribution was made after 1766, as it had previously been thought to be by Charles Cressent. Only two examples are known today, one at the Château de Fountainbleau, and another in the Reichen Zimmer in Residenz, Munich. A clock of this design, attributed to Boulle, was sold in the Blodel de Gagny sale in 1776, lot 1022, and was also included in the sale of his son, Blondel d' Azincourt in 1783 with an accompanying footnote claiming that it was made for the Régent. The Fontainebleau clock was exhibited at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1900, in the Salle Louis XIV devoted to eighteenth-century decorative arts, and is illustrated in 'The Paris Exhibition 1900' issue of Art Journal (ed. D. Croal Thomson, 1901, p.200). Like J.P. Deville, the celebrated cabinet maker François Linke also copied this model and it was subsequently exhibited at the Paris Exposition Universelle  of 1900 and later in September 1902, at the Salon des Industries et du Mobilier. (See Revue Artistique & Industrielle, July-August, 1900, for an image of Linke's stand and C. Payne, François Linke, 1855-1946, The Belle Epoque of French Furniture ,London, p. 126 for a discussion on Linke's 1900 clock and further illustration pp. 141, 170-1)

The Parisian firm of J. P. Deville (recorded circa 1870 as Deville Frères and in 1880 as Ch. Deville) was known to be a very important tapissier and marchand de meubles.  The firm was commissioned by the Duchesses de Berry, the Duchesse d'Orléans and the Duc de Nemours. The company relocated several times in Paris, most probably due to their growing success before settling at 12, rue Gaillon, in the 1860s. 

Sotheby's is grateful to Alain Kouyoumdjian for assistance with the attribution of the present model to J. P. Deville.