French late 18th century ormolu and marble clock

Late 18th century a la bacchante and sphinxes ormolu and marble clock, circa 1790.

Our piece is a variant of a beautiful clocks presented at the Petit Palais Museum and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. In these two Louis XVI models, the face is supported by two goats carrying putti. Ours is a late-Louis XVI or Directoire production with 2 sphinxes and Egyptian masks.

The enamel face is signed Tofset (Rennes).

The first decoration in the Egyptian taste with sphinxes were created for Queen Marie Antoinette in the golden cabinet at Versailles in 1784. This fashion was then widely spread during next years.

Bacchante and goats are regularly associated in mythology. Indeed, Zeus transforms his illegitimate son Dionysus / Bacchus into a kid, to protect him from Hera's jealousy. The goats are among the animals most often sacrificed to this god, or associated with its processions of bacchantes.

Large size, quite rare.

It is in excellent condition, no accident or lack. Mercury gilt well preserved and cleaned piece by piece. Original mechanism that works (completely revised by our watchmaker).