HANNIBAL BARCA ORMOLU BRONZE CLOCK. FRANCE, 19TH CENTURY.
Antiques -
Reference: ZF1230
Table clock, Hannibal Barca. Ormolu bronze, metal. France, 19th century. Table clock with Paris machinery and a case made of mercury-gilded bronze, with a rectangular base on four legs (the front ones decorated with scrolls and ending in a claw), decorated with a series of mouldings in relief with vegetal and architectural elements. The dial (metal with Roman numerals for the hours) is inside a square shape, in which sits the male figure that decorates the piece. A bearded man, dressed in armour (loriga or muscular breastplate) and a cape fastened over one shoulder with a fibula, rests his left arm on the helmet, holding a rolled document, and with his left hand he holds a Roman standard (another appears broken, under his foot). Note, to the right and next to a sword, a vase full of rings. Hannibal Barca (247-183 BC) was a Carthaginian general and statesman, best known for his conflicts with the ancient Roman Empire. It was not uncommon for him to be depicted counting the rings of the fallen Roman knights at the Battle of Cannae (216 BC), as can be seen in the sculpture by Sébastien Slodtz (made in 1704, Louvre Museum, Paris), where he also carries a Roman standard. He is also shown with these two elements (vase with rings and standard) on a table clock in the Cagny Museum in Paris made during the French Restoration. Another piece is known, in a private collection, inspired by this clock, designed after models by Peirra-Francois Feuchère. These two models would surely have served as inspiration for the present table clock. Weight: 25 kg.
· Size: 53,5x20x76 cms.
7.500 €
