90th Auction

2014/11/15

Lot 215

Paul Philip Barraud, London, Movement No. 2504, 59 x 51 mm, 125 g, circa 1790
A gentleman’s remarkable and extremely rare oval gold enamel pocket watch studded with pearls, produced for the Chinese market: "Cornelia, daughter of Africanus, mother of the Gracchi", who is regarded as one of the most important women in 2nd century BC Rome
Case: 18k gold, back with oval polychrome enamel medallion, very fine miniature painting of Cornelia, Mother of the Gracchi; Champlevé enamel rim studded with pearls, translucent red and cobalt blue on engine-turned ground, opaque light blue and gold. Pendant with red and blue enamelling. Dial: enamel, radial Roman hours, centre seconds, 12h power reserve indicator at"12", serpent hands. Movm.: oval full plate movement, keywind, firegilt, signed, chain/fusee, solid movement pillars, duplex escapement, three-arm brass balance, fine florally engraved balance cock, rack regulator, chatoned diamond endstone on balance.
We know of three watches by Paul Philip Barraud with the movement number 2504; all three have different cases. One is described in Cedric Jagger's 'The Supplement to Paul Philip Barraud' on page 255, another was presented at a Sotheby's auction in 2011. The third watch is the one we have here.
Paul Philipp Barraud (1750-1820)
Barraud was an English chronometer maker in London. His parents were Francis Gabriel Barraud and Magadalen Benine née Crespin, who was the daughter of a renowned Huguenot silversmith. In 1796 Barraud became a member of the Clockmakers Company of London and a master in 1810/11. He formed a partnership with George Jamieson and William Howells; of Barraud’s 7 children, his sons Frederick Joseph, John and James followed him into the business. From 1796 until 1820 they created more than 1,000 chronometers together.
Source: Wikipedia "Die freie Enzyklopädie" - "Paul Philipp Barraud", http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Philipp_Barraud, as of 02/10/2012
Cornelia, mother of the Gracchi
Cornelia Scipionis Africana (189-110 BC) was the second daughter of Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, the hero of the Second Punic War, and Aemilia Paulla. She is remembered as the perfect example of a virtuous Roman woman.
Cornelia married Tiberius Gracchus Major, the son of Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus, when he was already in an advanced age. The union proved to be a happy one and together they had 12 children very unusual by Roman standards. Only three survived childhood: Sempronia, married to her cousin Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus; and the brothers Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus, who would defy the political institutions of Rome, with their attempts at popular reforms.
One of the most important aspects of the life of Cornelia is her relationship with her adult sons. Most of the information that we have on her role during this time is what Plutarch wrote in both the “Life of Tiberius Gracchus” and the “Life of Gaius Gracchus”. She is portrayed as active during their political careers, especially during Gaius’. Rome worshipped her virtues and, when she died at an advanced age, the city voted for a statue in her honour.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornelia_Africana, as of 09/25/2014.

Sold

estimated
65.00080.000 €
Price realized
93.600 €