![]() Born in Bourges into a prosperous farming family, he spent five years in Rome where he studied architecture, sculpture and painting. The mirror, which beautiful goddess holds, refers to the Toilet of Venus, while the pair of love birds at the front of the chariot as well as personifications of Cupid, the flaming torch, arrows and hearts again symbolise love.Īs noted the clock movement was made by Louis Moinet, a highly esteemed horologist, inventor, scholar and as a maker of precision instruments became President of the Chronometry Society in Paris. ![]() Firstly the main subject is Venus, the mythological goddess of love who according to legend was born of the sea, hence the cockleshell-shaped chariot mounted by dolphins. Furthermore it is likely that it was intended to be given to a loved one since the case features many associated attributes. ![]() The case model appears to be unique, suggesting that the clock was made as a special commission, possibly for a member of the Imperial family. They were the esteemed clockmaker Louis Moinet (1768-1853) and the preeminent fondeur-ciseleur Pierre-Philippe Thomire (1751-1843), who often worked in collaboration on more important clocks. The importance of this remarkable clock is not only due to its rarity, the high quality of its casting and chasing but also on account of its makers. Height 63 cm, length 58.5 cm, depth 23 cm. The superb case portraying the figure of a semi-nude Venus seated in a cockleshell-shaped chariot beneath a drapery arch and looking backward into a mirror which she holds in her left hand, the front of the chariot mounted either side by a pair of dolphins and at centre by a pair of love birds, the chariot drawn by Cupid holding a flaming torch and also pushed from behind by Cupid, the whole on a stepped rectangular plinth elaborately cast at each end of the frieze by a young putto, each having fired an arrow that points toward a wreath and from there to a central wreath enclosing a pair of winged hearts, the plinth supported on winged feet with lion head masks ![]() The movement with anchor escapement, silk thread suspension, striking on the hour and half hour, with outside count wheel. A rare and important Empire gilt bronze chariot clock of eight day duration by the esteemed clockmaker Louis Moinet housed in a magnificent case by Pierre-Philippe Thomire, signed on the white enamel chapter ring below 6 o'clock Thomire et Cie and also Moinet, with Roman numerals and blued steel Breguet hands for the hours and minutes set within the wheel of a chariot which is cast at centre with alternating arrows and stylised butterfly wings at the 5 minute intervals. ![]()
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