Goyer et Imbert, Transition Louis XV-Louis XVI period Fireplace regulator in Parisian varnish imitating Chinese lacquer. The violonnée shape, decorated with flowers and Chinese pagodas, is surmounted by a gilded bronze armillary sphere. The white enameled clock face is signed "Imbert l'Ainé" and indicates the hours in Roman numerals and the minutes in Arabic numerals. Compensated "grill" balance supporting a second dial with barometer function, probably later. Rich ornamentation of gilded bronzes with acanthus, ram's head, lion's head, garlands of flowers and laurel, foliage, frieze of posts and gadroons. Stamped under the base: "J.GOYER" and "JME". Cabinetmaker: Jean Goyer, received master's degree in Paris on December 12, 1760. Watchmaker: Jean Gabriel Imbert, received master on November 22, 1776. Transitional Louis XV-Louis XVI period. Height: 73 cm. (restorations, accidents and missing varnish, barometer hands missing). Provenance: private collection, Lyon. Goyer and Imbert. A Louis XV-Louis XVI Transition Period ormulu-mounted japanned long case clock topped by an ormolu armillary sphere. Bibliography: a similar model is reproduced in Pierre Kjellberg, "Encyclopédie de la pendule française du Moyen Age au XXe siècle", Editions de l'Amateur, Paris, 1997, page 307. François, Jean Goyer's father, is reputed by Kjellberg to have created the model of our clock. A Parisian cabinetmaker received his master's diploma in 1740, he worked at "L'Autruche" on rue du Faubourg-Saint-Antoine, before moving to "L'Eau qui dort" on rue de Charonne. He produced lacquered clock cases in the Chinese style, decorated with rocaille bronzes. His after-death inventory in 1763 lists no less than three clocks and 26 "boëtes de cadran", 16 of which "plaquées en bois pour vernir". His son Jean continued to produce clock sheaths for some twenty years on the rue de Charenton. Also a talented foundryman, he was condemned in 1766 by the jury of ciseleurs for housing bronze workers in his home, and was ordered to choose between the two professions. His collaboration with his brother-in-law René Dubois gave rise to some spectacular creations, including the famous monumental secretary in the collection of James A. de Rothschild at Waddesdon Manor (Kjellberg, 1998, p.372). This regulator model was a great success with enthusiasts of the time, such as the Duc de Choiseul, who is reputed to have commissioned the example in the former Morgan collection, dispersed in 1969. Jean-Gabriel Imbert, known as Imbert l'Ainé (1735-1795), started out as a journeyman, then worked as a free-lance craftsman, before being awarded the title of master on November 22, 1776. He filed for bankruptcy in 1784, but continued his activities. He worked at Carrefour de la Roquette in 1767, rue Planche-Mibray in 1781, rue des Arcis in 1784 and rue de Monceau in 1795. He made high-quality clocks, using cases by J. Goyer, N. Bonnet, M. Poisson or the Osmonds, some gilded by Le Cat and H. Martin (Jean Dominique Augarde "Les ouvriers du Temps", Editions Antiquorum, Geneva, 1996, p. 334-337).