90th Auction

2014/11/15

Lot 416

French, Height 620 mm, circa 1880
Grand clock with half hour self strike fashioned after the west front of the archiepiscopal cathedral and coronation church Notre-Dame de Reims
Case: bronze, firegilt, wooden base with inlays, three portals flanked by support piers which continue along the sides, highly decorated middle storey with rose window dial, lancet window gallery, two matching towers. The façade is designed as a five-part structure increasing in height and width towards the middle: all three portals have a similar architectural design, where the archivolts with their wimpergs above the entrances rise into a powerful construction. All three arches have glass lunettes. Support piers crowned with wimpergs flank the front portal area. The rose window dominates the middle storey and is flanked by two lancet windows decorated with tracery and two pinnacles. The "gallery of the kings" concludes the façade with its crown of two matching towers lavishly embellished with tracery. Dial: enamel, gilt, pierced, applied enamel cartouches with Roman hours, blued hands. Movm.: rectangular brass full plate movement, gilt, 2 barrels, 1 hammer / 1 gong, anchor escapement, count wheel, silk suspended short pendulum.
Construction of Notre-Dame de Reims began in 1211; it was considered the largest cathedral of its time. The west front was erected in the 14th century based on 13th century designs.

Sold

estimated
2.5004.000 €
Price realized
9.200 €