Property from the Collection of Dr. Larry McCallister
Property from the Collection of Dr. Larry McCallister
A Rare Classical Ormolu Mantel Clock With Bust of George Washington, France, Circa 1820
Auction Closed
September 22, 07:47 PM GMT
Estimate
5,000 - 8,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
A Rare Classical Ormolu Mantel Clock With Bust of George Washington
France
Circa 1820
The clock marked ne quid detrimenti Res Publica, which translates to "take care to protect the Republic from harm"
Lacking the minute hand.
Height 21 1/4 in. by Width 8 1/4 in. by Depth 5 5/8 in.
Bernard & S. Dean Levy, New York;
Property from the Westervelt Company;
Christie's, New York, Important American Furniture, Folk Art and Prints, January 25, 2013, sale 2670, lot 236.
A clock with similar works signed by the Parisian clockmaker Louis Mallet, who served as a clockmaker to the Duke of Orleans and later to the Louis Phillippe, King of France (reigned 1830-48), is referenced in: Feld, Elizabeth and Stuart P. Feld. The World of Duncan Phyfe: Arts of New York, 1800-1847: an Exhibition Commemorating the Sixtieth Anniversary of Hirschl & Adler Galleries. New York: Hirschl & Adler Galleries, 2011, p. 116, fig. 13.
For other examples of bronze ormolu clocks with the busts or full length statuettes of George Washington that were made abroad but for the American market, please see: Feld, Elizabeth, and Stuart P. Feld. Of the Newest Fashion: Masterpieces of American Neo-Classical Decorative Arts: an Exhibition Commemorating the Fiftieth Anniversary of Hirschl & Adler Galleries. New York: Hirschl & Adler Galleries, 2001, pages 74-77.