18th Century, Italian Louis XV Wood Ringtone And Alarm Table Clock With Gilt Bronz Applications

18th century, Italian Louis XV Wood Ringtone and Alarm Table Clock with gilt bronze

This table clock was made in the north of Italy (Genoa) 18th century, Louis XV era. The case, the sides and the top are paved with fine violet’s wood. The interior of the case is paved with a refined game of wood coloring that creates a chessboard surface with hexagonal dowels. The dial is in enamelled metal foil, with Roman numeration for the hours and Arabic numeration for the minuts. The top is surmounted by a gilded bronze sculpture carved in putto style with raised arm.
The lower part of the case is adorned with an application in finely ceselled and gilded bronze that depicts the god Apollo pulling the chariot of the sun. Apollo is a deity of the Greek and Roman religion; God of the Sun (whose chariot he pulls), of all arts, music, prophecy, poetry, medical arts (the god of medicine is in fact his son Asclepius) of pestilence and of science that illuminates the intellect.
The god appears as a young man of extraordinary beauty whose head is surrounded by rays forming his golden hair. He travels through the sky, from east to west, carrying the light with a royal chariot drawn by the four winged horses (Pyride, Eoo, Etone and Flegone), whose names evoke the flame, the fire, the light.
The case is also decorated with gilded bronze applications, finely ceselled in rocaille motifs with vegetable girali. It rests on four feet in gilt bronze with volute motifs.
This clock, with the ringing of hours and quarters, is quite rare as it is also equipped with the alarm function.