A Louis Xiv Lacquered Bronze Mounted And Brass Inlaid T - May 05, 2013 | Simpson Galleries, Llc. In Tx
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A LOUIS XIV LACQUERED BRONZE MOUNTED AND BRASS INLAID T

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A LOUIS XIV LACQUERED BRONZE MOUNTED AND BRASS INLAID T
A LOUIS XIV LACQUERED BRONZE MOUNTED AND BRASS INLAID T
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A LOUIS XIV LACQUERED BRONZE MOUNTED AND BRASS INLAID TORTOISESHELL BOULLE BRACKET CLOCK, MOVEMENT SIGNED "DE LORME À PARIS," LATE 17TH/EARLY 18TH CENTURY, the circular bronze dial centering chased curling and blossoming foliage in relief with twin key escapements and cut-steel hands within a conforming ring of cobalt blue Roman chapters on white enameled cartouche plaques encircled by engraved Arabic minute numbers concealing a twin barrel movement and elegantly engraved "De Lorme À Paris" over a later adjustable pendulum, enclosed by a scrolling foliate 'premire partie' inlaid arched case and conforming glazed door having interlocking "C" scroll modeled encadrements continuing to the three maiden Fates wearing classical robes while holding their attributes flanked by angled corners with scrolling acanthus cast bronzes on a base rail with a smiling bacchanalian mask within scrolled espagnolette corners supported by tapering bellflower and gadrooned feet, surmounted by a shaped arched bonnet centering curling foliage details beneath a seated figure of Minerva holding a shield and wearing a plumed helmet, raised on a tapering bracket having contre partie inlay cornered by espagnolette masks. NOTE: A virtually identical Boulle bracket clock was offered Christie's Paris 23 June, 2005, Important Mobilier, Objets d' Art, Orfevrerie, Ceramiques Europeennes et Art d' Asie, Provenant Collections Des Barons de Gunzburg, Lot 331. CLOCK MAKER'S NOTE: The engraved signature De Lorme À Paris probably refers to Vincent De Lorme who is recorded as having been a Master clock maker in Paris around 1717. Related Information on ANDRÉ-CHARLES BOULLE: André-Charles Boulle, Ébéniste, Ciseleur et Doreur du Roi, was arguably one of the greatest of all cabinet makers, if not the most influential, setting standards of excellence in his profession that awe many to this day. Boulle's pre-eminence has remained undiminished since 1672, when Colbert, First Minister to Louis XIV, recommended him to the King as 'le plus habile de Paris dans son métier.' The son of a maître menuisier en ébéne, 'Jean Bolt', Boulle was already a maître by 1666, and in 1672 was appointed Ébéniste, Ciseleur, Doreur et Sculpteur du Roi, enabling him to establish workshops in the Louvre. Boulle's uneclipsed fame rests upon three principal strands: his extraordinary technical virtuosity as a craftsman (recognized by the Livre Commode des Adresses de Paris of 1691, which stated that Boulle "fait des ouvrages de marqueterie d'une beauté singulaire"), his innovation in both technique and design, and his brilliance as a sculptor. Indeed, it is the complete sculptural integration of Boulle's distinctive ormolu mounts - so often inspired by classical mythology and even derived from models by sculptors such as Michelangelo and François Girardon - within the confines of case furniture that most succinctly defines his style. His workshop included no less than six benches for gilding, casting, and chasing mounts alone, but with the introduction of the Guild system in 1715, Boulle found his combined skills as both cabinet maker and bronzier in direct contravention of the Guild regulations. Fortunately, his privileged location within the Louvre under the patronage of the King restricted their jurisdiction considerably. As Boulle himself predated the widespread practice of stamping furniture, his oeuvre can only be discerned from remaining 18th Century documentation. Foremost amongst these are, respectively, the Déclaration Somptuaire d'André-Charles Boulle of 1700, the Acte de Délaisement of 1715, by which Boulle handed over his workshops to his sons, the 1720 claim following the disastrous fire that ravaged his premises, and the 1732 inventory taken following the death of the ébéniste. Though economically worded, these documents provide a fascinating insight into the scale of Boulle's atelier - at its height employing nearly 30 workers, with 20 cabinetmaking benches alone - and also provide references to distinctive forms and mounts that have enabled scholars to formulate a conclusive stylistic body of his work. It is the reference to "deux petites armoires plus basses, en forme de bibliothèque, fermées avec ses glaces" saved from the fire of 1720, as well as the mention of models for the figure of Pomona in 1732, that convincingly attributes the bibliothque basse, en suite with those in the Musée du Louvre, to Boulle. Amongst those employed in Boulle's atelier was Jean Mariette, and his 1707 publication, 'Nouveaux Deisseins de Meubles et Ouvrages de Bronze et de Marqueterie Inventés et gravés par André-Charles Boulle,' with its numerous engraved plates, further reinforces stylistic attributions drawn from the documentary evidence. Inevitably, however, these records offer almost no insight into Boulle's production prior to 1700. Special thanks to Christie's New York, European Furniture. Height: 60 3/4" Width: 23 1/4 Depth: 8 1/4"
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A LOUIS XIV LACQUERED BRONZE MOUNTED AND BRASS INLAID T

Estimate $10,000 - $12,000
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Starting Price $5,000
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