AN EARLY 19TH CENTURY EMPIRE PERIOD GILT BRONZE MANTEL CLOCK DEPICTING AN ALLEGORY OF ASTRONOMY
the standing, classically attired Muse Urania holding a pair of callipers to a star covered globe, a telescope to the other side of the clock dial, raised on a plinth with laurel wreath mounts enclosing various tools of the trade, the white enamelled dial signed 'a Paris', with Roman numerals and Breguet type hands, the twin train movement with silk suspension and outside countwheel striking on a bell, with pendulum,
36.5cm high x 30cm wide x 10cm deep

The movement is ticking and striking but not fully tested or guaranteed.

Jean-Louis Prieur (1732-1795) is known to have produced a clock depicting Urania, muse of Astronomy in 1766 for theRoyal Palace at Warsaw, and the enthusiasm for this theme continued into the early 19th century andthe Empire period. Clocks devoted to science, astronomy, mathematics and study were popular during this time and some of the great master clockmakers and bronziers of the day such asJean-André Reiche(1752-1817) and Claude Galle(1759-1815) produced clocks of similar theme and design to the present example, often including scientific instruments and tools such as telescopes.