Magic lantern clock, Paris Empire period

Rare clock in finely chiseled and gilded bronze representing cupid carrying on his back a large magic lantern*.
Simply dressed in a vine leaf, he displays his attributes, the bow and the quiver.
Beautiful curly hair frames his chubby face while his enamelled glass eyes tirelessly draw our gaze.
The set rests on an oval base with rooster claws decorated with scenes of Eros and Cupid.
The eight-day movement is contained within the lantern, as is the white enameled dial which is surrounded by rare blue enameled copper dots.
The two blued steel "Breguet" type hands indicate the hours and minutes.
Perfect working condition, silk thread suspension.
The glass globe, the winding key and the star balance are original.
Original and high quality mercury gilding, with double patina, both matt and shiny.

The bronze is attributable to Jean-Simon Deverberie (1764-1824).

Parisian work from the beginning of the 19 th century, around 1800-1810.

Dimensions :
Height : 46 cm ; Width : 24 cm ; Depth : 12 cm.

Magic lantern :

The magic lantern is the ancestor of the projection devices, and particularly of the slide projector. Invented in the XVIIth century, it remains a very expensive instrument that is the prerogative of peddlers.
The latter charged for the projections at fairs and allowed the people to know the adventures of the latest novels in fashion and to see the fantastic landscapes of the new world.
There are many variations : addition of a concave mirror and other lenses to condense the light ; light source of various kinds (candle, oil lamp, light bulb) ; lantern with a double lens allowing the fade between two glass plates for two images. The glass plates are sometimes equipped with small mechanisms to partially animate the image.
Our opinion :
Our clock is inspired by the series of clocks known as « au nègre », it is a European variant of the cotton ball clock.
Imbued with romanticism, it uses the character of cupid who peddles his magic lantern from fair to fair to spread love through the scenes of the novels of Chateaubriand and Mme de Staël.
With its enamel eyes and blue pastilles, it represents the luxury version of the Deverberie model.
Probably marketed at the Palais Royal, the epicenter of Parisian luxury in the early 19th century, it has come down to us in perfect condition, with a particularly fresh gilding.