Beschreibung:

A FINE AND UNUSUAL LOUIS XVI PORCELAIN INSET ORMOLU MANTEL CLOCK WITH CALENDARUNSIGNED, PROBABLY SWISS, LATE 18th CENTURYThe circular twin going barrel movement flattened to lower margin and with four pillars pinned at the rear, the going train with pin-wheel escapement positioned low-down between the plates for regulation by a pendulum incorporating pivoted beam regulation adjustment to suspension, the strike train with rack, star wheel, snail cam and related detents etc. positioned on the backplate for sounding the hours, the 6 inch circular convex white enamel dial with three subsidiary dials labelled in French for Days-of-the-week, month-of-the-year and date-of-the-month to centre within puce Arabic numeral hour chapter ring and outer Arabic five minute ring, with steel 'arrow' hands for the subsidiaries set behind fine scroll pierced and engraved hour and minute hands, the break-arch case with basket of fruit surmount and pineapple finials to the engine-milled top surface over bead cast circular border enclosing concave porcelain ring bordering the dial finely polychrome painted with four oval vignettes depicting 18th century semi-erotic figural scenes separated by Neo-classical foliate scrollwork onto a deep cobalt blue ground, the lower section with further circular porcelain panel painted with Ajax performing self-martyrdom before Odysseus set within a cast foliate wreath applied to out-swept panel flanked by gilt lattice overlaid blue porcelain panel infill and pilasters also decorated with blue porcelain set into oval panels above projecting cylindrical porcelain plinths each painted with panels of floral sprays, the sides with further set of pinecone finials over panel upright projecting in a curve at the base, the rear with circular aperture set within a series of inset panels, on inverted breakfront fluted cavetto mounded skirt base with toupe feet, (unrestored and lacking pendulum, bell, bezel, mounts to the superstructure and cap for the left hand porcelain cannister).53cm (21ins) high, 47.5cm (18.75ins) wide, 15cm (6ins) deep Provenance: Broadlands, Hampshire being the property of the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma and thence by descent. The visible strike-work positioned on the backplate of the movement of the current lot is typical of Swiss practice and is most often seen on bracket clocks made in the Neuchatel region from the 1770's onwards. The pinwheel escapement was invented by the Parisian clock and watchmaker Jean LePaute in 1753. Being a form of deadbeat escapement it ensured good timekeeping however was difficult to make due to the precision required in forming the pallets as the tolerances required for operation are very slight. Notwithstanding this the pinwheel escapement became increasingly popular during the latter years of the 18th century reaching its zenith in the first half of the 19th century through its use in table regulators. The dial with puce numerals and bold detailing to the subsidiaries would support the clocks Swiss origins. The case although is very much in the Louis XVI Neo-classical taste is somewhat unusual in its design which would also support manufacture away from Paris, however the quality of the casting is very fine. The porcelain elements are very much in the style of Sevres with fine quality painting (most notably to the panel beneath the dial) - it may well be that these elements were bought-in from Paris.