Lot 1161* ♣ - A214 Works of Art & Decorative Arts - Thursday, 18. September 2025, 01.30 PM
PENDULE "TÊTE DE POUPÉE" WITH BOULLE MARQUETRY
Louis XIV, Paris, ca. 1710/15. The movement signed Gaudron à Paris (Pierre Gaudron, master craftsman 1695).
Cartouche-shaped case on a rectangular base and bronze paw feet. Blackened oak with Boulle marquetry in “contre partie” of pewter alloy, brass, and brown- and red-backed tortoiseshell in the form of arabesques, birds, leaf tendrils, and scrolls. Gilt bronze decoration in the form of blossoms with sepals and leaf friezes. Four rosettes mark the center of scrolls that accentuate the contours. The arched pediment is crowned by five oil lamps. The fronton is lined with dark velvet and covered with a gilt chapter ring engraved with the hours in Roman numerals and the minutes in Arabic numerals. Beautifully engraved, openwork hands. Movement with anchor escapement and half-hour strike on a bell.
27 × 17 × 50 cm.
Veneer with losses, repairs and a few loose parts. Movement requires revision. Rear door replaced.
Certificate:
Provenance:
- Koller Auctions Zurich, September 19, 2013, lot 1082.
- German private collection, acquired at the above auction.
The designation “tête de poupée” for this type of clock derives from the shape of the case. It is characteristic of the Louis XIV style and strongly influenced by the work of André-Charles Boulle (1642–1732). The design of this clock can be traced back to drawings by Daniel Marot (1663–1752), which were published in the “Nouveau Livre de boîte de pendules, de coqs et étuys de montres et autres nécessaires aux orlogeurs” (illustrated in: Pierre Kjellberg: Encyclopédie de la pendule française du Moyen Age au XXe siècle. Paris 1997, p. 41, figs. B, C, D). Pierre Gaudron became a master clockmaker in Paris in 1695 and later Court clockmaker to King Louis XIV and The Regent Philippe II of Orleans.
Similar pendulum clocks of this type, some with different decorations and pediment designs, are illustrated in Tardy: La pendule française. Part I, Des origines au Louis XV. Paris 1974, pp. 96, 97. Among them is a pendulum clock from the Musée de Dijon, signed P. du Chesne, with a very similar design (ibid., p. 97, No. 1). Another very similar pendulum clock is part of the Royal Collection Trust at Windsor Castle (inv. no. RCIN 30078).
A report by Prof. Dr. Hans Ottomeyer from May 2025 summarizes: "This unique pendulum clock, with its elaborate and skillful design, is a successful work of Parisian court art. The sparingly placed tortoiseshell strips and filigree ornaments are perfectly integrated into the marquetry and crafted with perfect joints into the surfaces of the different materials."
Similar pendulum clocks of this type, some with different decorations and pediment designs, are illustrated in Tardy: La pendule française. Part I, Des origines au Louis XV. Paris 1974, pp. 96, 97. Among them is a pendulum clock from the Musée de Dijon, signed P. du Chesne, with a very similar design (ibid., p. 97, No. 1). Another very similar pendulum clock is part of the Royal Collection Trust at Windsor Castle (inv. no. RCIN 30078).
A report by Prof. Dr. Hans Ottomeyer from May 2025 summarizes: "This unique pendulum clock, with its elaborate and skillful design, is a successful work of Parisian court art. The sparingly placed tortoiseshell strips and filigree ornaments are perfectly integrated into the marquetry and crafted with perfect joints into the surfaces of the different materials."
For the exportation of this item a CITES license is required. Prospective buyers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country. For further information please contact the department.
CHF 12 000 / 18 000 | (€ 12 370 / 18 560)
Sold for CHF 13 750 (including buyer's premium)