Beschreibung:

A CONSULAT LARGE ORMOLU QUARTER-STRIKING AND AUTOMATON PEDESTAL CLOCK WITH ANNUAL CALENDAR AND EQUATION OF TIME, ON AN ORMOLU AND PORCELAIN-MOUNTED MAHOGANY PEDESTAL INCORPORATING AN ORGAN
THE CLOCK DIAL SIGNED BY J.A. CAVE, CIRCA 1800, THE PEDESTAL ATTRIBUTED TO JACOB FRERES
A CONSULAT LARGE ORMOLU QUARTER-STRIKING AND AUTOMATON PEDESTAL CLOCK WITH ANNUAL CALENDAR AND EQUATION OF TIME, ON AN ORMOLU AND PORCELAIN-MOUNTED MAHOGANY PEDESTAL INCORPORATING AN ORGAN THE CLOCK DIAL SIGNED BY J.A. CAVE, CIRCA 1800, THE PEDESTAL ATTRIBUTED TO JACOB FRERES CASE: of massive proportions, surmounted by a group after the Antique representing the River Nile with amorini and crocodiles, with reeded columns to front, rear and angles, the cornice with dolphin, mask and Nereid mounts, the front with classical figures within niches, the side panels with mounts formed of winged horses, trumpet-blowing amorini and swans, the front and sides of the plinth with classical relief mounts, door to rear, the front modeled with a fountain, with automaton glass simulating water issuing from a mask, the case resting on the backs of six turtles with automaton heads PEDESTAL: on an ormolu-mounted mahogany pedestal with inset mottled granito violetto top above a frieze with Apollo in his chariot, the front centered by an oval enameled plaque of Napoleon as Consul, the canted angles with Egyptian female caryatid uprights, the sides with classical lyre lozenge medallions backed with cobalt blue enameled panels on a further stepped plinth base with flattened bun feet, this lower plinth probably of a slightly later date DIAL: within ormolu bezel, white enamel with gilt-heightening and jeweled decoration in the manner of Coteau, outer band with individual cartouches painted with representations of the zodiac, further annual calendar ring, signed Inv.t fec.t J. A. Cave , with pieced ormolu hour and minute hands and blued steel solar equation hand applied with a sunburst, blued steel date pointer MOVEMENTS: concealed winding holes behind the front mounts for the clock (indirect wind) and automaton movements, the former with rectangular plates joined by five back-pinned pillars, twin barrels with Graham-type dead beat escapement, the high quality gridiron pendulum with knife-edge suspension and suspended from a cradle to the rear, fine calibration to crutch piece, with remontoire to back plate, quarter-striking on three nested bells with a single moving hammer; the automaton movement positioned to the side and with independent barrel, tripped from the clock movement and with gearing to the automaton water and to the turtles, causing their heads to move in and out, with manual automaton stop/start levers to the side, the back plate with restoration inscription Réparee entierement par E Frennaulet Paris 1893 rue des. terminer par Balthazar fils Mechanitien ; the movement with late 19th Century restorations ORGAN: the plinth housing an organ with 17¼ in. long wooden barrel and twenty-three pipes (one lacking), powered by twin chain fusees; lacking connection to clock 80 in. (203 cm.) high, 32 in. (81.25 cm.) wide, 22½ in. (57 cm.) deep, overall (2)