Case by Charles Cressent (1685−1768)
Movement by Jean-Baptiste Delaroche (dates unknown)
Spring-Driven Pendulum Clock on a Bracket
Paris, c. 1735
Gilt bronze, enameled metal, and glass
44 1/2 in. high x 18 1/8 in. wide (113 cm high x 46 cm wide)
Horace Wood Brock Collection
This four-legged clock standing on a wall bracket was designed and made by Charles Cressent, a leading French furniture-maker and sculptor. Clocks offered many creative possibilities for the artisans, as the only limitation was the dial. Free to create whatever composition he wished, Cressent designed clock cases that approached pure sculpture. In this example in chased and gilt bronze, dragons fight over a lion’s head. Combined with abstract motifs of irrational scale and asymmetric design, the piece is crowned by a winged child on clouds.