IMPORTANTE HORLOGE DE PARQUET D'EPOQUE REGENCE EN BOIS SATINE ET AMARANTE, ORNEMENTATION DE BRONZE CISELE ET DORE, D'APRES UN DESSIN DE JUSTE-AURELE MEISSONNIER, ESTAMPILLE DE E.J.CUVELLIER DEUXIEME QUART XVIIIe SIECLEAN IMPORTANT REGENCE ORMOLU-MOUNTED BOIS SATINE AND AMARANTH LONGCASE CLOCK, AFTER A DESIGN OF JUSTE-AURELE MEISSONNIER, THE CASE STAMPED E.J.CUVELLIER SECOND QUARTER 18TH CENTURY The lyre-shaped case fitted with a bust of Louis XIV depicted as a Emperor, before seven gilt bronze cords simulating that of a lyre, flanked by scrolling upswept acanthus sprays, the sides with parquetry ornated with ribbon-tied musical trophies, surmounted by the circular enamelled and brass dial, with Roman and Arab chapters, surmounted by a figure of Diana holding an arch flanked by a cherub and a dog, with floral swags on both sides, the lower shaped section with ribbon-tied foliate husks and centred by a large sea-monster mask headed by a pierced stylised shell motif, above a further socle mounted with delicate oak foliate branches, C-scrolls and shaped sabots surmounted by acanthus, the case overall banded with brass and ebony filets, the back of the case stamped 'E. J. CUVELLIER', the later associated movement signed 'J. P. Du Commun à Paris', regilt, partly remounted , 85cm wide, 39cm deep, 220cm high (33in wide, 15in deep, 86 1/2in high). Footnotes:Provenance:Private French Collection;Weschler's Auctioneers, Rockville, Maryland, 20 February 2015, lot 213, (USD 76,000);Estate of Guy Martin, Jr., by inheritance from:Edith Kingdon Gould (1920-2004); Kingdon Gould, Sr. (1887-1945);George Jay Gould I (1864-1923).Related Literature:Peter Fuhring, Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier, Un génie du rococo 1695-1750, 1999, pp.175-179.J.Aronson, Encyclopedia of Furniture, 3rd Edition, 1965, p.220A. Pradère, Les ébénistes Français de Louis XIV à la Révolution, Paris, 1989, p.134, fig. 96.The horloge de parquet presented here belongs to a small group of at least two other related horloges de parquet called 'à la lyre' known at the present time. The most celebrated one being originally in the collection of the 18th century painter Charles-Antoine Coypel, who became premier peintre du roi after his father's death in 1722, and Director of the Académie Royale in 1747. In the sale following the death of Charles-Antoine Coypel in 1753, lot 579 was recorded as : 'Une pendule à secondes qui donne l'heure du temps vrai, la course du soleil, le jour et la date de la semaine, le mouvement est de Monsieur Claude Martinot et la caisse de Monsieur Meissonnier'. During that sale, it was purchased by the eminent French horologist Julien LeRoy, who then resold it a few years after. This horloge is presently conserved in the collection of the French group AXA, in the Hôtel de la Vaupalière in Paris. It is interesting to note that the case is described as being conceived by Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier (1695-1750) who must have designed this horloge de parquet circa 1725-27. The complicated astronomical movement of the Coypel horloge de parquet is signed 'Claudius Martinot / invenit, et fecit.' and dated 1727. The second related horloge de parquet, stamped by François Duhamel was sold on 9 July 1931 at Christie's London. Very much similar in form, the Christie's horloge shares the same if not identical sea monster pierced stylised shell motif to the lower section as our horloge, as well as the lyre ormolu cords, but with a few other differences in the ormolu scheme, and without the bust depicting Louis XIV found on our horloge. Both ormolu groups to the top of the movement cases differ from each other, our horloge is headed by a group depicting Diana the huntress, while the Coypel's example is mounted with a group depicting 'Amour et Psyche' and the Christie's clock stamped by the ébéniste Duhamel (maître ébéniste in 1750) is headed by a group of cherubs playing. It is conceivable that Duhamel was fascinated by the earlier and very innovative Meissonnier's lyre-shaped design and decided to reproduce it a few decades after, since his maîtrise dates from 1750. Christie's 1931 horloge was most probably later on in the French & Co. collection, as illustrated in J.Aronson, Encyclopedia of Furniture, 3rd Edition, 1965, p.220. The horloge was subsequently sold at Sotheby Parke Bernet, New York, 9 October 1971, lot 147. And most probably the same one sold again at Bonhams New York, 24 April 2013, lot 1143. The Duhamel stamp is equally present alongside that of Balthazar Lieutaud on a related régulateur conserved in the Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris. However, more Louis XV in treatment, another two almost identical models as the one in the Musée des Arts et Métiers are stamped respectively Jacques Dubois and attributed to Jacques Pierre Latz, showing the difficulties of attributions and of the paternity of the designs and makers. An 18th century engraving reproduced here (Bibliothèque de l'Ensba, 22620, f.43) depicts the model of our horloge de parquet, with only minor differences. Unfortunately, the border of this design is slightly cut out, therefore no inscription, signature nor engraver is visible. It is however plausible to assume that the engraving could be that of Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier, before 1727, as his name is mentioned in the sale description of the horloge sold from the Coypel sale. Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier (1695-1750), born in Turin, was a goldsmith, sculptor, painter, architect and most of all a furniture designer. He owes his extravagant decorative style to his italian origins and mastered the flamboyant style of rococo like no one else. Meissonnier worked his whole life in Paris where he became appointed by Louis XV as Dessinateur de la chambre et du cabinet du roi. His books of design: Livres d'ornements en trente pièces, and Ornements dela carte chronologique are conserved in the collection of the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. The ormolu group of Diana the huntress which is on our horloge above the clock case appears to be a group often used by Charles Cressent (1685-1768) on other pieces of furniture he has executed, as on the pendule Crozat, and on various cartonniers attributed to him. Cressent was known to have designed and produced his own ormolu mounts for his furniture; this upset some of his fellow ébénistes as well as the corporation of the fondeurs-ciseleurs and for this reason, he had constant problems with the corporations and was sued various times.Known to excel in the manufacturing of longcase clocks, Cressent produced related cases to the horloge de parquet here presented, such as the Régulateur de parquet veneered in bois satiné, amaranth and parquetry, with its ormolu Chronos cresting in the English Royal Collection (RCIN30035), illustrated in A. Pradère, Les ébénistes Français de Louis XIV à la Révolution, Paris, 1989, p.134, fig. 96. The only present estampille on our horloge de parquet is that of E.J.Cuvellier. A rather unknown ébéniste whose stamp is found only on a few pieces of furniture, some of them being important. Not mentioned in 1953 on the Salverte book of Les ébénistes du XVIIIème siècle, Cuvellier has been more recently discovered to have worked d... This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: TPTP Lot will be moved to an offsite storage location (Cadogan Tate, Auction House Services, 241 Acton Lane, London NW10 7NP, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please note transfer and storage charges will apply to any lots not collected after 14 calendar days from the auction date.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
