A French Empire style gilt bronze figural mantel clock garniture 'The Chariot of Telemachus'. The clock cast after Jean-Baptiste Boyer to a design by Jean-André Reiche, unsigned, Paris, late 19th century The eight-day bell striking movement with anchor escapement regulated by disc bob pendulum and backplate stamped with the A.D. Mougin roundel over numbers 4 5 to centre and RACK, FRENCH MAKE, A1378 towards the upper left hand margin, the dial with leaf chased baluster-spoked ‘cartwheel’ centre applied over a gilt engine-turned ground within slender silvered Roman numeral chapter ring, with blued steel moon hands set behind a fine rope-twist milled hinged convex bevel-glazed bezel, the case with movement and dial forming the wheel of a slipper-shaped chariot with finely chased roaring lion to front opposing half campana urn-shaped elevated rear section supporting the standing figure of Athena holding aloft a shield behind the robed Telemachus who is driving the two rearing stallions at the front of the chariot, the rectangular plinth base applied with a spread eagle cast mount flanked by laurel wreaths, the whole standing on four supports modelled as fasces applied with upward projecting axe heads inset into the canted angles, 42cm (16.5ins) high; with a pair of matching garniture side pieces, each modelled as a shouldered ovoid vase with twin scroll handles springing from bearded masks applied to a foliate band over twin cornucopia cast mount to front, on leaf cast and fluted socle applied to rectangular plinth base with eagle mount to front and faces supports to the canted angles, 34cm (13.25ins) high. The subject of the case housing the timepiece in the current is sometimes incorrectly referred to as ‘The Chariot of Apollo’ or ‘Chariot of Diomedes’ however the original design drawing, dating to 1807 by Jean-André Reiche (1752-1817), survives in the Bibliothèque National de France, Paris and is inscribed ‘Char de Télémaque’. Of the original early 19th century models many examples survive including one in the Spanish Royal Collection, another in the Musée de Château de Malmaison as well as two in the Musée François Duesberg at Mons in Belgium.