Japy Freres Ormolu and Sevres Style Porcelain Antique French Clock Set

An exquisite 19th century French gilt bronze and hand painted jeweled Sevres Porcelain clock set. Fine gilt bronze and hand painted jeweled...

Late 19th century french gilt bronze/ormolu cloisonné champlevé enameled mantle clock garniture set by Japy Frères By: Japy Frères Material: bronze, enamel, glass, metal, ormolu, paint, cork Technique: cast, champlevé, cloissoné, cold-painted, enameled, gilt, hand-painted, metalwork, molded Dimensions: 6 in x 19.5 in x 15 in Date: late 19th century, circa 1890 Style: Napoleon III, Rococo Revival, Neoclassicism, Louis XVI, Empire Place of origin: France The Japy family is a french industrial dynasty originally from Beaucourt in the Territoire de Belfort. They owned the second largest french company in terms of capital during the Second Empire. Its influential members left their mark on the french industrial landscape through numerous innovations, particularly in clockmaking, typewriters and pumps, as well as in labor organization and workers' social life in the 19th century. This magnificent late 19th century french mantle clock garniture, work of the eminent Japy family, radiates the opulent decorative style of the Rococo Revival. A four glass...

A very fine quality French late 19th century Sevres style and gilded ormolu clock garniture. Having a pair of four branch candelabra, each with ram's head and female mask mounts, dra...

A very impressive late 19th century French gilded ormolu and cobalt blue porcelain urn clock set, the clock having seated putti holding garl...

A good quality French, 19th century pink sevres porcelain and gilded ormolu clock set. Having a classical urn to the top, an eight day chiming movement. A romantic scene painted to t...

This magnificent five-piece clock set is designed in the style of 18th century porcelain produced by the famous Sèvres Manufactory in France. The set is comprised of a mantel clock, a pair of flanking vases—which double-up as candelabra—and two candlesticks. The five items are crafted from ‘bleu Sèvres’ (navy) colored porcelain, which has been finely parcel gilt, jewelled and painted, and mounted in gilt bronze (ormolu). The mantel clock is composed of a circular porcelain dial, with a central painting of cherubs in flight, encircled by black Roman Numerals within white medallions. This is set within a gilt bronze bezel, crowned by a porcelain lidded urn, fitted with gilt bronze satyr head handles, draped with flower swags, and topped by a gilt bronze grape cluster finial. The clock case is supported on four porcelain columns, which are surmounted by a gilt bronze pinecone-tipped staff, draped with tasselled fabrics. A gilt bronze sculpture of a dancing Maenad (also called a Bacchante)—a female follower of the classical god of wine and ecstasy, Dionysus (or Bacchus). The woman plays the tambourine and is accompanied by a putto. The clock is placed on a shaped gilt bronze base, with two projecting scrolled wings, decorated with gilt bronze acanthus leaves and porcelain patera. The base is mounted with porcelain paintings of classical trophies, and putti within a gilt bronze cartouche frame. It is set on two gilt bronze feet, which are decorated with pointed porcelain covers and gilt bronze rosettes. Depending on personal preference, the vases that accompany the clock can be left as they are or made to serve as candelabra. When vases, they are topped by porcelain domed lids, with gilt bronze grape finials. To turn the items into candelabra, these lids are replaced by gilt bronze covers. Each cover is fitted with six gilt bronze branches—five of which are scrolling and decorated with acanthus leaves, and one extends upwards in a straight line. These terminate in wide drip-pans and urn-shaped capitals. The porcelain vase bodies feature fine paintings of couples courting in garden settings, and they are fitted with gilt bronze cherub head...

A very fine quality 19th century Louis XVI style gilded ormolu and champlevé enamel clock garniture, the four sided clock having four enamel col...

This large clock set, which is comprised of a mantel clock and pair of flanking candelabra, is designed in the style of Sèvres Porcelain manufactory goods. In the manner of Sèvres Po...

A magnificent Sèvres-style gilt bronze and jeweled porcelain clock set. The fine pair of Sèvres-style ormolu mounted covered cobalt blue ground porcelain vases with hunting scene. ...

PRESENTING A STUNNING mid to late 19C French Japy Freres & Red/Magenta Sevres Porcelain Mantle Clock with Garniture Candlestick Ewers. The clock movement is by the famous Parisienne Clockmaker … ‘Japy Freres’ and the clock dial has the marks for “JAY” (short for Japy Freres) & “Paris” on the dial face. The clock mechanism and clock face/dial have matching serial numbers of “7225”. The movement also has the numbers: “5 – 2”. The clock face/dial also has the initials: “D.H.”. The gilt ormolu clock case is gilt spelter and is signed on the rear base, for having been made by “P.H. Mourey” of Paris, who worked with and for ‘Japy Freres’, towards the end of the 19th Century. The signature of ‘Mourey’ also bears the numbers “85” … probably for 1885, but could also be the serial number. Taking into account Mourey’s historical association with Japy, being late 19th Century, we are leaning heavily towards this being the date of manufacture i.e. 1885. The Clock has RARE red/magenta Sevres hand-painted porcelain paintings/additions, to include:- (i) a 2 handled and lidded urn on the crown with pointed flame finial, (ii) a pair of bulbous urns either side of the main body and clock face, (iii) the clock face and dial itself and (iv) a flat rectangular medallion on the front base. The crown urn and the base medallion both have similar themes, but different painted scenes, depicting French rural countryside scenes with cottages, rivers and bridges. The porcelain urns on the sides, likewise have hand-painted images of a young boy, in rustic period attire on the right and a young girl on the left. None of these paintings appear to be signed. The clock case has GLORIOUS detail to it, with scrolls, ribbons, vines, grapes and Corinthian columns. The clock sits on a custom made gilt wood and burgundy velvet plinth, that is original to the piece and was a common accent with ‘Japy Freres Clocks’, when originally retailed in their Paris shop. The rear of the clock is plain and the perspex/clear resin plate insert, is a new addition, but a nice addition, in that it allows one, to view the movement and pendulum works. The clock is an 8 day movement with a strike on the hour and half hour. The clock face has 2 winding holes … one for the pendulum movement and the other for the striking chime/ring. Unlike British clocks this clock does not have a long musical chime … it is a simple ‘single strike’ on the half hour. The red/magenta Sevres porcelain clock face/dial is in SUPERB condition. Roman numerals with gilt accents and a hand-painted circular wreath/bouquet of spring flowers on the center section. To complete the set, we have a matching pair of gilt ormolu spelter and hand-painted red/magenta Sevres porcelain Ewers … which can hold a single candle each. The porcelain urns on the central section, have hand-painted images of a young lady in rustic period attire … fishing on the riverbank on the right and a young man playing the flute in the countryside on the left. The front base medallions on each ewer have hand-painted wreaths/bouquets of spring flowers. The clock facing side of the porcelain urn on each Ewer, has a brass ormolu applique head, of the Greek god of wine-making, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre, namely, Dionysus. The plinths are signed on the rear top left corner, and we think they read: “R.P. Unfaut”. They also bear the numbers “61” and “69”, Again, possibly for 1861 and 1869, but here we think it is more likely they are serial numbers, as it is highly unlikely that a matching pair were made 8 years apart! Whilst we cannot find any information on ‘R.P. Unfaut’, we can only guess that he/she/they worked with, or for, ‘Japy Freres’, as these ewers are unmistakably, a ‘superb’ match for the clock! The style, subject matter, gold banding and edging, around the paintings, are virtually ‘identical’ to the same decorations on the clock’s porcelain paintings. The Ewer on the left (with the boy playing the flute) appears to have a faded signature on the gold border of the painting towards the base and we think it is the signature of ‘Alexandre Evariste Fragonard’ …. one of the best known artists attached to Sevres in the mid 19th Century … meaning, that these Ewers were probably made circa 1845-50. The quality and detail to these 2 paintings is classic Fragonard! We are of the opinion, therefore that these garnitures, were made circa 35/40 years before the clock, as Mourey was prevalent with Japy around 1880 – 1900. The clock paintings are of a very similar, rustic ‘Fragonard Style’ subject matter and although unsigned, could possibly have been painted by a Sevres artist, to replicate the Fragonard paintings...