Lormet-Antiques-0288s

Mantelpiece with clock
French, Paris, about 1690 - 1700

For many centuries, since the chimneypiece surrounded the main source of heat and light in a room, it was an extremely significant architectural feature. Compared to many early pieces covered with sculptural ornament, this mantelpiece, which dates from the end of the 1600s, is a simple structure. One architect commented on the new style in a publication written in 1683: "formerly one spent much on the building and decoration of chimneypieces, which were excessively loaded with ornament; but today they are far less massive and, with their simple lines, seem more graceful." By the 1690s, fashionable Parisians hung large plates of mirror glass above the mantelpiece and used the surface of the mantel to display decorative objects.

Mantel Clock
French, Paris, about 1715 - 1725
Movement by Paul Gudin, clockmaker; Clock case attributed to André-Charles Boulle, furniture worker. Oak veneered with tortoise shell, blue-painted horn, brass, and ebony; enameled metal; gilt bronze mounts.

The figures on this clock represent Love conquering Time, a theme often repeated on French clocks of the early 1700s. The cupid balanced on the top originally held a long-handled scythe, an attribute of Father Time, who reclines below and holds his usual scales.

Photo taken at the J. Paul Getty Museum
www.getty.edu