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A large French fire-gilt bronze Empire mantel clock Orpheus with its lyre

A large French fire-gilt bronze Empire mantel clock Orpheus with its lyre

Price: Price on request

Offered by Cor van der Heijden Private Collection Antique Clocks

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A large French fire-gilt bronze Empire mantel clock Orpheus with its lyre A large French fire-gilt bronze Empire mantel clock Orpheus with its lyre A large French fire-gilt bronze Empire mantel clock Orpheus with its lyre A large French fire-gilt bronze Empire mantel clock Orpheus with its lyre

A large French fire-gilt bronze Empire mantel clock Orpheus with its lyre On top of the clockwork, Orpheus is depicted with his lyre. On the left of the base a harp and on the right side the starry sky and a loud with music pieces.

Description

Dial

The 10.8 cm enamel dial has Roman numerals surrounded by a minute division with Arabic minute numerals. Fire gilded openwork bronze hands and a Paris signature. Above the twelfth hour an arbre for the regulation of the clockwork.

Movement

8-day spring-powered movement, pendulum with silk suspension. Bubbles in full on the whole hours and once every half hour by means of a closing disc.

Housing

Orpheus is depicted with his lyre on top of the timepiece. On the left of the base a harp and on the right side the starry sky and a loud with music pieces. Very finely hammered, ormolu case. Below the dial we see Cerberus, the multi-headed hellhound with a tail like a dragon. He is the guardian of the underworld, but is overpowered by Orpheus with his singing and music. In the console, a frieze with various expressions of art. The whole stands on six stylized legs with achantis leaves and a lyre in the center.

Orpheus

In Greek mythology the son of Oiagros and the muse Kalliope is a gifted musician, poet and singer. Apollo gave Orpheus a lyre, on which he made such beautiful music that he calmed the wildest animals and even moved the rocks. His young wife Eurydike was killed by a snake bite. Orpheus went to the underworld to retrieve her and was given permission to do so by Hades, the ruler of the dead, moved as he was by Orpheus' lyre play. But Hades made this condition that he should not look back to see if Euridike was following him. At the last moment, Orpheus could not contain his desire to see her. He looked back and she disappeared into the underworld forever. The drama was described by Ovid and Virgil, in poems by Valérie and Rilke, in a play by Anouilh and in operas by Monteverdi and Gluck. Gluck's still ends with a happy ending.
 

 

Origin
France
Period
Around 1810, early Empire
Material
Bronze, Gilded bronze
Reference
100-1
Sizes
56.5 x 43 x 14.5 cm

Offered by

Cor van der Heijden Private Collection Antique Clocks

't Hofke 26
5374 HE Schaijk
The Netherlands

+31(0)6 51 169 169
http://www.clocksantique.nl

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