Louis XVI Period Portico Clock With Egyptian Women

Portico clock in white and black marble, and gilded bronze.

On a black marble base decorated with palmettes and rosettes in gilded bronze, two pilasters decorated with sheaths with Egyptian heads support a white marble entablature flanked on either side by patinated bronze sphinxes. When damped, a gilded bronze eagle spreads its wings.

The wire suspension movement strikes the hours and half-hours as it passes.

Work from the Louis XVI period from the last quarter of the 18th century.

Movement revised by our clockmaker in perfect working order.

Length: 43 cm.
Height: 56.5 cm.
Depth: 9.5 cm.

An innovation from the reign of Louis XVI, the portico clock is a pretext for the most diverse fantasies, both in terms of the materials used and the ornamentation. Our clock reflects this renewed taste for Egyptomania, particularly following the publication of Volney's travelogue, "Voyage en Egypte et en Syrie (1787)". This craze would reach its peak in the decorative arts with the brief appearance (about ten years) of the "Return from Egypt" style in the early years of the 19th century.