The French mantel clock with columns of white marble and a gilded figure of a warrior entered the museum in 1918 from the Karacharovsky estate of the Counts Uvarov. Since the second decade of the eighteenth century, pendulum clocks have been conquering the mantelshelves of Europe. They become the compositional center of the interiors of royal and aristocratic palaces: the Louvre, Versailles, Grand Trianon, Fontainebleau, Volet-Viscount and others.
Such clocks, as in our exposition, are called “portico clocks”. They were common in the second half of the XVIII — early XIX century. Their decorative design resembles the architectural construction of a portico. InAncient Greece it was an independent structure and served as a place of rest from the sun.
Among the antiques, the fireplace clock occupies a special place. As works of watchmaking and applied art, they attract the attention of not only connoisseurs of artistic bronze casting, but also lovers of mechanics. However, a luxurious and stylish frame of gilded bronze, white and black marble plays a major decorative role here. It is a small architectural masterpiece on a pedestal with columns and balustrades around them. In general, it can be called an “Allegory of War”. Allegorical themes are especially characteristic of such products of that era. In our case, the dominant one is a bronze gilded sculpture of a warrior in antique armor. A masterly cast and stamped figure crowns the entire composition. The hero’s right hand holds a naked short sword or dagger; the left has an empty scabbard. Readiness for combat has been demonstrated in detail. The militant theme is supported by bronze gilded overlays on the front walls of the black marble pedestals. In their decor there are battle axes, banners, quivers with arrows and other attributes of war. The allegory of the heroic battle is also reflected in the ornament of laurel leaves at the bottom and top of the pedestals.
The clock itself is round and has a pendulum; the dial is enameled with Arabic numerals and curly hands, in the decor of which the outlines of lily petals are visible. It has the inscription: “à Paris” (“in Paris”). The authorship of many such watches, especially from the time of the French Empire, remains anonymous, as in our case. It is only clear that they were made by an artist, a bronze sculptor, and a watchmaker in Paris. Anonymity was a common practice among them, as they could sell products to each other, copy or alter other people’s drawings. When there are specific signatures, it is usually the names of the bronzer and the watchmaker.