Beschreibung:

A rare French carriage clock inset with fine Florentine pietra-dura panels Retailed by H. Bozi, Florence, circa 1880 The eight-day bell striking movement with silvered platform cylinder escapement and stamped with serial number 531 to lower left hand corner, the rectangular black marble dial panel signed H. Bozi, Firenze to centre with gilt Roman hour numerals and spade hands within surround finely inlaid in various hardstones with delicate floral sprays, the bevel-glazed corniche case with hinged carrying handle and oval top glass over cavetto cornice and caddy moulded uprights, the sides and rear door with further Pietra-dura panels depicting floral still lifes including roses and fuchsia blooms, on moulded skirt base, 13.5 (5.75ins) high excluding handle. The current clock would appear to belong to a small series of carriage clocks incorporating fine foliate decorated pietra-dura panels which appear to have been made in the same workshop. Others in the series include a slightly smaller clock with alarm and push button repeat which was sold at Christies, King Street, London Important clocks and marine chronometers 20th February 2008 (lot 11) for £3000; a very similar example to the present clock pictured in Roberts, Derek CARRIAGE and Other Travelling CLOCKS pages 156 (Figure 9-33 a-d); and an example by Drocourt illustrated in Allix, Charles and Bonnert, Peter CARRIAGE CLOCKS, Their history and development, (this time housed in an anglaise riche case) on page 180 (Plates VII/C13-14). It is perhaps interesting to note that the Christies example is also signed for H. Bozi of Florence which would strongly support the idea that the panels for this series were made in Florence by one workshop to decorate clocks supplied by Parisian makers mainly for retail in Florence to wealthy visitors continuing in the tradition of the 'Grand Tour'.