18th cartel by St Germain, Paris circa 1760

Rare small alcove cartel in finely chiseled and gilded bronze.
Model in the shape of an asymmetric acanthus embellished on each side with garlands of leaves and flowers.
The summit simulating a rock mound.
The white enamel dial indicates the hours in Arabic numerals and the minutes in Roman numerals.
It is signed "Louis Montjoye in Paris".*
The original movement strikes the quarters and hours by pulling on demand.
It is signed on the back plate "Montjoye Paris"

The case is stamped at the top right "St Germain" for the founder of King Louis XV Jean Joseph de St Germain.*

Perfect working order, revised by our watchmaker.

Parisian work from the Louis XV period around 1760-1765.

Dimensions:

Height: 47cm

Similar models:

Ottomeyer/Pröschel, Vergoldete Bronzen, vol. I, Munich 1986, no. 2.5.7.
Pierre Kjellberg, "Encyclopedia of the French clock" page 95 figure F
Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris, Inv 2014.112;10 (Ferville movement)
Sale Lempertz Cologne 13 November 2015, Lot 1153 (6200 hammer euros)

Our opinion :

As its pull cord indicates, our little cartel was intended for an alcove and made it possible to know the time without having to get out of bed.
With its tempered rockery and fine carving, it is one of the successful models of Jean Joseph de St Germain who will decline it in several versions, including our example and a "Chinese" variant.
Both variants are kept at the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris.
Our copy, which is stamped with St Germain, also bears the signature of one of the greatest watchmakers of the reign of Louis XV, Louis Montjoye.

*Jean-Joseph de Saint Germain (1719-1791) received master foundry in earth and sand by masterpiece on July 15, 1748.
He is one of the greatest bronziers of the reign of Louis XV.
In 1765 he became a sworn member of the foundry-carver guild, a fierce defender of copyright, he proposed and voted for the obligation for bronziers to sign their works.
Indeed as he indicates in an advertising label for his studio in rue St Nicolas: he sells "all kinds of boxes and fittings in ormolu" and "makes the drawings and models in wax"
He is the creator of many successful models such as the cartel with two Chinese, the rhinoceros clock, the elephant, the bull…. and therefore one of the most copied artists of his lifetime.


*Louis Montjoye is the father of two watchmakers, he was received master watchmaker on August 21, 1748. Settled rue Gallande in 1772, he worked a lot for the merchants-mercers Poirier and Daguerre and collaborated
with the most talented founders of clock cases, notably Charles Cressent, Jean-Joseph de Saint-Germain, François Rémond and Osmond. his client was the Duchesse de Mazarin, the Duc de Richelieu, the Comte de Vaudreuil; and one of his clocks is inventoried in Montreuil at Madame Elisabeth, sister of Louis XVI.