Austrian and enamel silver clock

Small silver and multicolored enamel clock. The clock is in the shape of a lyre including silver ropes, arms with eagle heads and whose body has an enamelled dial. A silver sculpture representing Bacchus supports the lyre and the dial. The clock rests on a polylobée base. A fine enamelled ornamentation in enamel decorates this clock. Medallions representing Muses of Poetry and Music. All of the scenes are overlaid on a richly decorated background which blends “grotesque” and a flowery rinceau. The base presents figures of the muses of the Theater and Eloquence.

This clock is characteristic of the historical style that developed in Vienna during the second half of the 19th century. An interest in objects from the 16th and 17th centuries was growing, and as a result, numerous enamel pieces set in lapis lazuli, quartz, or silver made their appearance. These pieces were heavily influenced by the Renaissance and the tastes of curiosity shops that were in vogue during the 16th and 16th centuries. These pieces were displayed at international expositions where Viennese artists competed with artists from the more distant past.

Silver marks:
A for Austria
Silversmith: RB


H: 7.4 in. (19 cm) / l : 3.93 in. (10 cm) / D: of the dial 1.57 in. ( 4 cm)


Period: second part of the 19th century. Circa 1860-1870.