PRESENTING A STUNNING late 19C French Japy Freres & Red Sevres Porcelain Mantle Clock with Garniture Candlestick Ewers.
The clock movement is by the famous Parisienne Clockmaker … Japy Freres and the clock dial has the marks for “JAY” (short for Japy Freres) & “Paris”.
The clock mechanism and clock face/dial have matching serial numbers of “7225”. The movement also has the numbers: “5 – 2”.
The clock face/dial also has the initials: “D.H.”.
The gilt ormolu clock case is gilted spelter and is signed on the rear base, for having been made by “P.H. Moure” of Paris, who worked with and for ‘Japy Freres’, towards the end of the 19th Century.
The signature of ‘Mourey’ also bears the date of “85” for 1885.
The Clock bears RARE red Sevres hand-painted porcelain additions to include:- a 2 handled and lidded urn on the crown with pointed flame finial, a pair of bulbous urns either side of the main body and clock face, the clock face and dial itself and a flat medallion on the front base.
The crown urn and the base medallion both have similar but different painted scenes depicting French rural countryside scenes with cottages, rivers and bridges.
The porcelain urns on the sides likewise have hand-painted images of a young boy in rustic period attire on the right and a young girl on the left.
The clock case has GLORIOUS detail to it, with scrolls, ribbons, vines, grapes and Corinthian columns.
The clock sits on a custom made gilt wood and burgundy velvet plinth that is original to the piece and a common accent with Japy Freres Clocks.
The rear of the clock is plain and the perspex/clear resin plate insert, is a new addition, but a nice addition, in that it allows one to view the movement and pendulum works.
The clock is an 8 day movement with a strike on the hour and half hour. The clock face has 2 winding holes … one for the pendulum movement and the other for the striking chime/ring.
Unlike British clocks this clock does not have a long chime … it is a simple single strike on the half hour.
The red Sevres porcelain clock face/dial is in SUPERB condition. Roman numerals with gilt accents and a hand-painted circular wreath/bouquet of spring flowers on the center section.
To complete the set, we have the matching pair of gilt ormolu spelter and hand-painted red Sevres porcelain Ewers … which can hold a single candle each.
The porcelain urns on the central section have hand-painted images of a young lady in rustic period attire fishing on the riverbank on the right and a young man playing the flute in the countryside on the left. The front base medallions on each ewer have hand-painted wreaths/bouquets of spring flowers.
The clock facing side of the porcelain urn on each Ewer has an ormolu applique of a classical Greek goddesses head.
The plinths are not signed, but they are unmistakably a perfect match for the clock and therefore probably also made by P.H. Mourey.
The Ewer on the left (with the boy playing the flute) appears to have a signature on the gold border of the painting towards the base and we think it the signature of ‘Alexandre Evariste Fragonard’ …. one of the best known artists attached to Sevres at that time.
Both Ewers have been re-gilted and have had some substantial repairs/restorations, as set out in more detail under ‘Condition” below. Despite these repairs they still look FANTASTIC!
‘Red’ Sevres is VERY RARE and HIGHLY COLLECTIBLE and DESIRABLE!
THIS IS A FABULOUSLY COMPLETE SET & VISUALLY STUNNING, AS WELL AS FUNCTIONAL!!!
Japy Freres (Japy Brothers) were French clock makers founded by Frédéric Japy in 1777 where he renewed and mechanized the traditional process of establishment practiced in the Jura by the watchmaking profession. From the watch movement, Japy went onto the pendulum and diversified into tools, engines, bicycle parts, lighting, garden furniture, pumps 1 , coffee grinders, typewriters , etc. The 1880s marked the golden age of Japy. Nearly 5,000 workers worked in the Japy factories in the region. The family had thirteen castles built on Beaucourt and Dasle, four have disappeared.
Link: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Famille_Japy
P.H. Mourey, French 1840-1910, was a master French Sculptor. He was best known for his association with Japy Freres & Co. the noted 19th C. Paris Clockmaker.
French Japy Freres & Red Sevres Porcelain Mantle Clock with Garniture Candlestick Ewers
Provenance: Bought at Auction in UK.
Dimensions: Clock is: inches Tall, inches Long, inches Wide on plinth.
Garnitures are each: inches Tall, inches Long, inches wide
Condition: The clock is in very good condition and works perfectly. Some slight loss of gilting but not serious. One or two very minor repairs to the case mounts, but again, not in any way detracting from the piece. The perspex rear plate is a replacement. The Ewer/Candlestick Garnitures have been heavily restored. Repairs to both handles and one handle is a resin casting of the other. Restored/Repaired and Re-Gilted they look great! All the Sevres porcelain medallions, urns etc are in excellent original condition with no cracks or losses. Has Original Key.
SALE PRICE NOW: $12,000 (Set)
