Important Watches, Wristwatches and C...

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Oct 15, 1994

LOT 86

Not signed, attributed to Gabriel Courieult's widow, circa 1788. Rare and magnificent, Sevres "beau bleu" porcelain lyre hour and hait hour striking clock with enamel painted dial by Coteau.

CHF 0 - 0

Sold: CHF 201,500

C. Made of soft paste porcelain, designed as a lyre, with ormolu mounts, a figure of Apollo on the top, swags of flowers hanging down; laurel leaves running around the edge of the lyre and further swags of flowers on the base. The tiered porcelain base has four bands of engine-turned ormolu mounted around it. The mock fixed vine rod gridiron is seen between the upper part of the lyre. D. Enamel chapter ring by Coteau with dates and months, outer superb painted miniatures representing the zodiac signs with delicate and intricate jewelled designs between them. Inner silver engine-turned dial with Roman numerals and outer minute ring. GiIt brass fleurs de lys hands. M. Circular gilt brass full plate with cylindrical pillars, going barrel for both the going and the striking trains, pin-wheel escapement, plain balance with knife edge suspension. Striking on a bell with count wheel on the back plate. In very good condition. Dim. 58 x 26 x 14 cm.


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Notes

The punch mark "B592" on the reverse of the later silver engine-turned dial, enables to think it has been set by Breguet in place of the original one which could have been damaged. This mark indeed, is identical to that to be found on almost all the silver or gold Breguet's engine-turned dials. According the the Sevres Manufacture records, only 7 porcelain lyre of this type were produced. Two were bought by Gabriel Courieult in 1785 and sold to the King Louis XVI. Two were purchased by his widow in 1786 and three others in 1787 and 1788. There is a fine example from the Queen Mothers collection in Windsor castel, others are to be found in the Louvre, the Victoria and Albert Museum, in the Walter Art Gallery of Baltimore and in the Musée National de Céramique de Sèvres. A later and somewhat simpler version, made by Kinable in 1818 was bought by the King George IV. Previously in the Vincent Mulne collection, in South Africa, the clock now offered for sale appears to be unique available on the market. The calendar dial painted by Coteau is certainly the best of this type ever produced by this eminent artist who brought the art of jewel enamelling as near perfection as it was possible to achieve.