Description
Dragon Drawn Chariot
From our Clock collection, we are thrilled to introduce this French Mantle Clock attributed to Francois Linke. The Clock in the rococo style cast as a winged Cherub wearing a billowing robe riding in a gilt chariot being pulled by a writhing Dragon outstretched climbing up with its left arm pointing towards the sky. The Chariot beautifully executed with a French Royal crest to the rear with interlaced monogram surmounted by a crown. The chariot sat upon a naturalistic cloud like formation with an ormolu scrolling border. The clock sits in the chariot simulating the wheel with a white enamel dial decorated with black numbers and floral garlands. The French Mantle Clock is firmly attributed to renowned French cabinet maker François Linke and is a known model by the maker. The Mantle Clock dates to the late 19th century during the Belle Epoque era circa 1895. The clock has been fully stripped down and professionally serviced before being available on the market.
Provenance The Clock has been purchased directly from a long held private UK collection.
François Linke (1855–1946) was a one of the most important and influential Parisian cabinet makers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born on 17 June 1855 in the small Bohemian village of Deutsch Pankraz (Jítrava today) in the Czech Republic he apprenticed to a master cabinet maker named Neumann. It is believed that before setting up his own independent workshop in Paris François Linke took a role with a German cabinet maker which from similarities and location to in which Linke worked is believed to have been renowned cabinetmaker Emmanuel Zwiener. By 1881 Linke had set up his own independent workshop at 170 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, Paris. He later expanded to 26 Place Vendôme, arguably the capital’s most fashionable address. One of François Linke biggest accolades was the extraordinary commission to furnish the Ras El Tin Palace in Alexandria for King Fuad of Egypt. This was arguably the biggest single commission in history overtaken that undertaken in Versailles, France.
Ormolu is the name given to a gilding technique which consists of applying a finely ground high-carat gold–mercury amalgam to an object of bronze. The mercury is driven off in a kiln with extreme heat leaving behind a gold coating. Also known as bronze doré in French or gilt bronze in English. Around 1830, legislation in France had outlawed the use of mercury for health reasons however it was continued to be used until 1900s. This process has generally replaced today by electroplating gold over base substrate.
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper with approximately 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such as arsenic or silicon depending on the age of the bronze and its origin. The additions of other metals produce a range of alloys that are usually harder than copper alone and carry useful properties such as strength. The earliest known use of bronze dates to the 5th millennium BCE from Iranian plateau, the bronze mix consists of arsenical copper and copper-arsenide. The earliest tin-copper-alloy recovered is dated to circa 4650 BCE and was found in Plocnik, Serbia. It is believed to have been smelted from a natural tin-copper ore.
Belle Epoque is a period of French, Belgian and European history. It began in the early 1870’s and to ended with the outbreak of World War I in 1914.
Antique a collectable object such as a piece of furniture or work of art that has a high value because of its age and quality. Objects of this nature are generally considered antique at 100 plus years of age.
Enamel (vitreous enamel) also known as porcelain enamel, is a material made by fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between 750 and 850 °C. The powder melts, flows, and then hardens to a smooth, durable vitreous coating. The word vitreous comes from the Latin vitreous, meaning “glassy”.
Measurements 26.5cm High x 36.5cm Long x 13.5cm Deep (10.4 x 14.37 x 5.3 Inches)
Condition Excellent Antique Condition
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