437 - Bracket clock, signed Henri-Charles Balthazar – French School – second half of the 18th century

Bracket clock, signed Henri-Charles Balthazar – French School – second half of the 18th century A bracket clock with a curved case veneered in rosewood and richly ornamented with gilt bronze mounts in the Rococo style. The decoration features plant motifs and scrolls characteristic of 18th-century French furniture. The circular enameled porcelain dial displays Roman numerals in blue enamel and is signed by the clockmaker Henri-Charles Balthazar. The clock rests on molded legs and has front and side windows that offer a view of part of the inner workings. Henri-Charles Balthazar was one of the most prominent Parisian clockmakers during the reign of Louis XV. After obtaining the title of master on March 26, 1717, he established his workshop on the Place Dauphine in Paris, later moving it to the Cloître Saint-Germain-de-l’Auxerrois and the Rue du Roule. Within a few years, he achieved great prestige, receiving the title of Clockmaker to the Ladies of France. As was common among the finest watchmakers of the period, he collaborated with leading bronze workers and cabinetmakers on the cases of his watches, including Joseph de Saint-Germain, Jacques Dubois, Jean-François Oeben, and Balthazar Lieutaud. He received commissions from the Garde-Meuble de la Couronne (Crown Wardrobe) and had a distinguished private clientele that included the Comte d’Armentières, the collector Nicolas Chuppin, treasurer of the Marc d’Or, the Marquis de Saint-Georges, and the Russian ambassador in Paris. It features a silk-thread suspension and is signed on both the dial and the plate. The watch has been serviced and is in working order. Dimensions: 55 × 39 × 17 cm.