186 - "Parigina" gilt bronze clock with a figure of a shepherdess, Leroy à Paris, France, 19th century

"Parigina" gilt bronze clock with a figure of a shepherdess, Leroy à Paris, France, 19th century 41 x 30 x 11 cm Square case with a dial featuring two winding holes and Roman numerals on a white enamel ring, flanked by a sheep; the base is centered by a crystal fountain. The “Leroy à Paris” signature identifies the famous French watchmaking dynasty founded by Basile-Charles Leroy in 1758. It was based in the galleries of the Palais-Royal in Paris and was one of the few workshops authorized to sign movements for the French imperial residences. It served as the official supplier to Napoleon Bonaparte and the major European courts. The clocks are distinguished by the precision of their internal mechanisms and by the collaboration with the finest bronze sculptors of the time—such as Thomire and Feuchère—in the creation of the sculptures.