Gilded wood living room clock circa 1880, featuring an archi - Lot 296

Lot 296
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Estimation :
15000 - 20000 EUR
Result without fees
Result : 18 000EUR
Gilded wood living room clock circa 1880, featuring an archi - Lot 296
Gilded wood living room clock circa 1880, featuring an architectural portico supporting a movement with bells, hours and half hours, with white enamel dial bearing the faded inscription of a Parisian clockmaker. The carved wooden decoration of good quality is embellished with garlands, foliage and horns of plenty. The background, lined with a double velvet curtain, houses a troupe of three animated characters: a dancer on a rope and two musicians sitting on a cushion (cymbals and panpipes). This oriental trio, with their bodies in composition, dressed in their original clothes made of glued paper and fabric, has kept all its polychromy. The animation of these acrobats is ensured by an automaton movement completely in the spirit of those that Jean Marie PHALIBOIS (1835-1900) clockmaker of his state, recognized for his rural creations and his romantic characters. He exposed at the Exhibition of Paris of 1878. The mechanism with 7 cams, in good working order, ensures five animations for the dancer (11 cm) and one animation for each seated musician (8cm). Finally, a Swiss music box with four opera tunes adds a third dimension to the set. The musical quality is undeniable and the four pieces chosen are great opera arias of the moment. A label under the base of the clock attests to this. It is partly erased, but one can read " ORPHEE aux ENFERS " and " ROSITA " Operas of J. OFFENBACH. Each piece lasts 40s. A blackened wooden base contains the mechanisms of the automaton (movements and music) and a brass pull tab acts as a start/stop button. The operation of the two motors is linked. The manual control of the stop of the three characters also entails the stop of the opera air in progress. However, the mechanism provides for the end of the piece, thus completing the mechanical and musical coupling. The glass globe, housing this clock, acts as a sounding board and adds to the sound of the whole. This charming object deserves its place in the most beautiful cabinets of curiosity. Dimensions of the clock: 71 x 36 x 25 Animated scene: 49 x 34 x 19 The glass globe, housing this clock, acts as a sounding board and adds to the sound of the whole. This lot was described by Jean-Pierre Cazenave
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