Antique Country or Unknown Shelf Desk or Table Animated Clock

Price Type: auction
Sold Date: 10/14/2001
Pre-Sale Estimate: (subscribers only)
Sold For: (subscribers only)

Catalog Description:

Magnificent and extremely rare, 18K gold and enamel, pearl-set musical center-seconds scent flask fitted with a watch, with carillon and exceptional automaton scene. Attributable to John Rich and Decombaz, circa 1805, made for the Chinese market. Attributable to John Rich and Decombaz, circa 1805, casemaker's mark "JGR & Cie" (Jean Georges Reymond & Cie), made for the Chinese market. Magnificent and extremely rare, 18K gold and enamel, pearl-set musical center-seconds scent flask fitted with a watch, with carillon and exceptional automaton scene. C. Entirely painted on enamel, the front housing the watch movement, the back the musical automaton, the former entirely decorated with red, green and imperial blue translucent champlev enamel over Barleycorn flinqu, aperture for the watch movement with half-pearl frame, above, an enameled medallion of a young lady in a half pearl frame within an applied gold flower and leaf wreath, below the dial, applied gold flower garlands and garlands made of half-pearls, the stopper with pearl-set base,opped by a gold acorn decorated with blue champlev enamel, oval fluted base with eight lobed sectors above, each decorated with a red palm motif on an azure enamel ground. The automaton side with a double painted on enamel panel in the center, illustrating a biblical emblem represented by the greenness of the palm tree which symbolizes the deeds of the just that will grow and evolve like the palm tree in the desert, pearl-set frame, above, an enameled portrait of a lady, all set on translucentmperial blue enamel over Barleycorn flinqu, the sides pierced, enameled and engraved with a repeated foliate pattern. Below the panels to the right, a knob which, when pressed, opens the panels and animates the scene as the music plays. The scene, in painted enamel and multicolored gold, represents a lady playing the dulcimer with a pair of hammers and nodding her head in rhythm, a gentleman beating time to the music with his arm, and a lady listening to the music, who applauds when the concertis over. When she has stopped clapping the panels automatically close. D. White enamel, radial Roman numerals, outer minute/seconds and half-minute/ seconds divisions, outer fifteen minute/seconds Arabicmarkers. Very fine blued steel and gilt "olive-shaped" hands. M. 41,2 mm, gilt full plate, cylindrical pillars, cylinder escapement, plain three-arm brass balance with under-sprung blued steel balance spring, unusual horn-shaped cock with the top symmetrically pierced and engraved with a foliate pattern, ruby endstone.Musical mechanism: Gilt, skeletonized and partially engraved, pinned barrel carillon with five hammers and five bells, each hammer adjustable to regulate the strength of the blow, fusee and chain assuring the constant tempo of the music, fly regulator. The movement is fixed to the case with three suspension levers, to eliminate dampening of the music by the case. The automaton scene is animated by a complex mechanism, placed underneath it, comprising 25 levers, 12 gears and 8 springs, driven byhe musical train.The number "144" painted under the dial and stamped on the movement, the flask stopper stamped "JGR" (Jean-Georges Reymond). Dim. Height 21cm, base width 9,5 cm.

The Antique Clocks Price Guide database contains actual sales information about this piece and more than 20,000 other antique clocks. Most records tell you what it sold for at auction and where it was sold. Some records tell you the price that retail dealers are asking for this or similar clocks.

For as little as $6.95 for a five-day pass you can view the complete information for all the antique clocks in our database. To find out more about our low cost five-day, one-month or one year subscription plans, click here.

Back to List