Elegant French Portico Clock in Gilt Bronze, ca. 1860.

Elegant French portico clock in gilded bronze and in Empire Style, 1860. Beautiful and decorative bronze box made up of four decorative columns with gilded bronze appliqués decorated with plants. The architectural form of the case clearly evokes the Roman triumphal arches that were so loved in Napoleonic style, which was enhanced by floral garlands above and the Corinthian capitals of the columns. Metallic sphere with Roman numerals appearing slightly erased and the hands are stick-like. The face is bordered by a beautiful flowery decoration of the same style as the rest of the inlays. It has a Paris type machinery that lasts 8 days, chiming every half an hour. Beautiful pendulum rod topped with a decorative flower-shaped with vegetable decoration. This fantastic clock is in perfect condition, with the revision made and machinery in working perfectly. It has the key,, all parts are original, no significant breaks and is kept in very good conditions. The first clocks, made with weights, were necessarily located on the wall. With the invention of the spring mechanism in the seventeenth century, it became possible to remove them and move them from site. These early clocks did not appear in France until 1750, and had to wait to be consolidated in England. They were commonly called "fireplace clocks" because they were placed in the house, around which the whole family sat together. The designs would evolve as they followed the styles of the moment. The influence of the Empire style is perfectly reflected in this piece of Second Empire Style (1848-1870) in the form of outstanding monumental and decorative motifs taken from the classical world. This is a beautiful and elegant clock with intrinsic values of the great emperors.Size: 10.5 cm (diameter sphere), 48 X 23 X 10.5 cm (box).