- 123
A pair of Louis XVI giltwood barometer and thermometer, Mossy, Paris, circa 1785
Estimate
8,000 - 12,000 GBP
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Description
- gilt beechwood
- 3 ft. 3 ½ in. by 1 ft. 7 ¾ in.; 100 cm by 50 cm
each with 11¼-inch painted dial signed Mossy A Paris, the cases, now lacking glass tubes & mercury, with a garland of oak leaves and pendant from a bow-tied ribbon with tassels
Provenance
Baron de Montalembert, Château de La Pierre
Condition
Barometer dial with some distortion, staining and marks; glass tube and mercury lacking; case in generally good condition with some old cracks minor chips and marks. Thermometer dial in good condition; now lacking mechanism; case as the barometer.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
Two similar barometers by Mossy (fl.1780-1820) are in the collection of the Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris; one is dated 1789 with a dial signed Mossy, Breveté du Roi quai Le Pelletier à Paris and formerly belonged to the celebrated Ancien Régime chemist Anotine Laurent Lavoisier, for whom Mossy is known to have produced several pieces. As the bearer of a royal warrant, Mossy would have manufactured barometers and other scientific instruments for objects supplied to the court, including a barometer and thermometer pair in mahogany cases with Wedgewood plaques attributed to Weisweiler, supplied to Marie-Antoinette in c.1790 and later in the collection of the Empress Eugénie (illustrated in Jean-Dominique Augarde, Les Ouvriers du Temps, Geneva 1996, p.240, fig.190).