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RICHARD REDDING ANTIQUES |
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RICHARD REDDING ANTIQUES |
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A very fine quality Directoire gilt and patinated bronze set comprising a clock and matching pair of candelabra “Au Jeune Nègre” by Jean-Simon Deverberie. The clock of eight day duration signed on the white enamel dial Jn SI Deverberie, the dial with Arabic numerals and a fine pair of pierced gilt brass hands for the hours and minutes. The movement with anchor escapement, silk thread suspension, striking on the hour and half hour on a single bell, with outside count wheel. The clock drum supported on the head and resting in the raised hands of a patinated bronze figure of a young African boy with white enamel eyes wearing a double row of gilt beads around his neck and a gilt tasselled loin cloth, standing on a circular splayed patinated base ornamented with beaded borders and gilt foliate garlands suspended from mask heads, on three lion paw feet. The companion pair of candelabra likewise formed of almost identical patinated bronze figures of a young African boy, each with outstretched arms and holding in both hands a straight tapering candle stem terminated by vase-shaped candle holders, the figures each standing on a gilt bronze turned and part fluted circular plinth with stepped base on three lion paw feet The clock: height 42.5 cm. The candelabra: height 43 cm. each. Paris, date circa 1799 Literature: Elke Niehüser, “Die Französische Bronzeuhr”, 1997, p. 161, pl. 262, showing an almost identical clock and candelabra set in the Musée François Duesberg at Mons. Pierre Kjellberg, “Encyclopédie de la Pendule Française du Moyen Age au XXe Siècle”, 1997, p. 348, pl. A, illustrating an almost identical clock case. This wonderful clock and pair of candelabra are almost identical to another set by Jean-Simon Deverberie (1764-1824) in the Musée François Duesberg at Mons, the main difference being that here the young boy beneath the dial does not carry a quiver of arrows, the dial has Arabic instead of Roman numerals and the candelabra at Mons feature part spiralled and twisted branches. Inevitably over the years sets have been broken up so it is always exciting to find a complete set and especially one where the clock dial is signed with Deverberie’s name. Examples of the clock alone include one which is noted to been exhibited at the Queen’s Gallery Buckingham Palace, London. Candelabra without the clock are also known, for instance one pair formerly in the Fermor-Hesketh Collection, 1988. Jean-Simon Deverberie was the most important artists of his time to create a series of bronzes and almost certainly the first to make a clock case celebrating the theme of le bon sauvage. This ideal was itself encouraged by views of equality proposed by Rousseau and others and culminated in the abolition of slavery by the Convention in 1793. The first Deverberie clock case on this theme was La Négress, housing a movement by Furet and Godon, which was presented to Queen Marie-Antoinette in 1784. The present set dates slightly later from 1799, corresponding in date with a ‘Pendule au Sauvage’ and candelabra set by Deverberie known as ‘L’Amèrique’, of which there is an example at Musée Duesberg, Mons. The latter features a female figure beside a palm seated upon an alligator above the clock drum, while each candelabrum is composed of a young blackamoor supporting candle branches upon his head. Other celebrated Deverberie models on the same theme include his ‘Pendule À L’Afrique’ also dating from 1799 which features a half-draped huntress seated beside a panther, of which an example can be seen in this book, page ?? (old no 44). Deverberie’s drawings and art works, now in the Cabinet des Estampes, Bibliothèque Nationale Paris include designs for the present works as well as for other examples noted above. Deverberie enjoyed great success as a bronze manufacturer as well as a marchand |