Large violin-shaped wall clock in Boulle marquetry, Saint Martin in Paris
Cartels, Louis XV, XVIII

A violin-shaped cartel clock and its console, inlaid with brown tortoiseshell, brass, and bronze.

The particularly fine and precisely chased brass inlays are decorated with flowers, scrolls, and foliage.

The ornamental repertoire is particularly focused on the floral and natural themes featured on this cartel clock. The central bronze panel displays scrolls and a bouquet, while on the console, the small flowers are set within a stylized brass heart. Faun faces, or Lupercus, adorn the console's finial.

A putto sits atop the clock. The dial has twelve enameled cartouches with Roman numerals and is signed "Saint Martin à Paris."

The mechanism, also signed "Saint Martin à Paris," retains its original wire suspension, which has not been replaced as is common on many 18th-century cartel clocks. It is in working order and strikes the hours and half-hours.

Height: 121 cm
Width: 45 cm