A fine French gilt brass bamboo cased carriage clock with Aesthetic style porcelain panels, push-button repeat and alarm Unsigned, Paris, late 19th century The eight-day gong striking movement with silvered platform lever escapement and sounding the alarm on the same gong, the backplate stamped with serial number 2051 to lower left hand corner, the rectangular porcelain dial panel overall painted in polychrome and gilt with asymmetric panels of carp, herons and insects within a cream field populated with a bird, butterfly inhabiting stylised foliage, the centre with gilt on iron-red Roman numeral cartouche chapter ring and blued steel hands over conforming alarm setting dial to lower margin, the gilt brass bevel glazed bamboo case with frame modelled to resemble sections of bamboo overlapping at the corners, the top with conforming hinged carrying handle and panel-glazed escapement aperture and the sides inset with additional Aesthetic style porcelain panels matching the dial with arrangement of shaped panels and objects decorated with carp, birds and other motifs within a cream ground incorporating birds and insects amongst flowering foliage within a blue and gilt geometric border, on integral bamboo stump feet, 16.5cm (6.5ins) excluding handle. Provenance: The beneficiary of the Estate of a private collector, East Midlands. The design of the porcelain panels of the current lot draw their inspiration from Japanese art in particular Satsuma pottery. The study and interpretation of Japanese decorative arts was a core element of the Aesthetic Movement which in-turn influenced Orientalist design which became highly fashionable during the latter quarter of the 19th century. Furthermore the 'bamboo' design of the case compliments the Aesthetic feel of the panels resulting in an object which is fully integrated in its visual qualities. A group of timepieces illustrating the variations on the theme of the current lot can be found in Roberts, Derek CARRIAGE and other Travelling CLOCKS pages 172-73 (Fig. 10.16-17).