Attribué à ÉDOUARD LIÈVRE (Blâmont, 1828 - Paris, 1886)

SINO-JAPANESE CLOCK Paris, second half of the 19th century Gilt bronze, brass, silver and enamel H. 53 cm, W. 30 cm, D. 21 cm Mark on the back of the figure, on the tunic This clock has a rich Sino-Japanese inspired decoration in European taste. The master of Time, recognizable by the hourglass he holds in his hand, shows the dial suspended like a gong. He is dressed in a silver-nested costume reminiscent of Buddhist monks. The scroll-shaped foot of the clock ends in a dragon's head. The whole, guarded by a Fô dog, rests on a table with a rectangular top and Greek motifs. The model is attributed to Édouard Lièvre (1828-1886) who may have designed it for the famous house L'Escalier de Cristal. The Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1867 brought exoticism back into fashion and drew Westerners' attention to Japanese art. Famous for his japanese creations, our ornamentalist was then a precursor.