Table clock; Louis Philippe, France, c. 1830.

Desk clock; Louis Philippe, France, c. 1830.
Mercury gilt and silvered bronze.
Silk thread suspension with pendulum.
No key.
Stamp on the machinery "Roblin à Paris".
Missing back glass.
Measurements: 50 x 38 x 14 cm.
French table clock, made in gilded and silvered bronze, made around the early nineteenth century. The piece is distinguished by a sculptural composition of remarkable theatricality: a horseman of oriental aspect, dressed in exotic clothes and armed with a curved saber, is represented mounted on a rearing horse, captured in full movement, which confers dynamism and tension to the scene. This representation responds both to the European romantic imaginary and to the fascination for the exotic, characteristic of the decorative taste of the period.
The base, of classical forms, is richly ornamented with a succession of finely chiseled palmettes, in a work of great technical precision that evidences the expertise of the Parisian bronze craftsmen of the Empire period.
Nineteenth-century bronze table clocks were key pieces in decoration and interior design, as well as symbols of social status and refinement. Elaborately crafted and often adorned with artistic motifs, these clocks not only served to measure time, but also reflected the technical advances and taste for fine craftsmanship of the time. Bronze, a durable and aesthetically appreciated material, allowed the creation of complex and elegant forms, integrating styles such as neoclassical or rococo.