A Very Fine Louis XVI Ormolu and White Marble Mantel Clock with dial signed Coteau and dated October 1777

The arched case surmounted by a pair of doves, flowers and foliage, above a gilt-bronze band of hearts and scrolling foliage, above a white enamelled dial signed Coteau (the reverse also signed), with the signs of the Zodiac contained in gilt medallions interposed by ribboned martial trophies, the months and days of the week in French, above intertwined laurel wreaths flanked by branches, above a plaque depicting an amorous couple with Cupid, the side panels inset with pierced mounts of a classical urn with foliage, the sides with ribbon-tied martial trophies, the breakfront plinth base with classical female figures on truncated columns, on a Spanish brocatelle plinth, on disc feet.

Joseph Coteau (Born 1740 – died 1801)

Coteau was originally from Geneva and was appointed peintre-emailleur du roi et de la Manufacture Royale de Sevres in 1780. He claimed to have invented the method of applying different colours on the enamel.  He was established as master of the Parisian Guild of enamellers in 1785. Although it is unusual for the clock not to be signed by a Clock maker it is not unknown, as Jean-Dominique Augarde illustratetes in his book Les Ouvriers Du Temps on page 103 with an unsigned Skeleton clock also with enamel dials by Coteau.

Literature

P A very similar clock but with the Zodiac signs down the side of the clock is illustrated in 

Les Ouvriers Du Temps by Jean-Dominique Augarde p43 Illustration 23. Another with a plain dial is illustrated in Les Plus Belles Pendules Francais by Giacomo et Aurelie Wannennes  p 176. P Kjellberg, La Pendule Française, Paris, 1997, pp.230 fig. B & 312, fig.A, ilustrates clocks with dials by Coteau with the signs of the Zociac and months in French.  H Ottomeyer/P Proschel, Vergoldete Bronzen, Vol I, Munich 1986, p. 212, Plate XXX.

Tardy, French Clocks, The World Over, Paris, 1981, p.141.pp. 162-163 illustrates several examples of dials by Coteau with the signes of the Zodiac and a clock with a related dial now in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris on p. 251.

This clock with the attributes of Love, doves, flaming torches and Cupid has an usual band of heart-and-dart motifs around the top of the case, which is also present on a clock with the dial signed by Imbert  l’ainé à Paris, now in the Kurfürstenzimmer, Residenz, Münich, illustrated by H Ottomeyer /P Pröschel op,cit.,p.212, plate XXX

Dimensions

Price on application

This object is eligible for a Certificate of BADA Provenance