This is an exceptional and highly detailed Empire period mantel clock, signed on the dial “Caillouet à Paris” and further referenced to the distinguished clockmaker Chaussee d’Aulin à Paris-a name recognized in the annals of horology, such as in Tardy’s Dictionnaire des Horlogers Français, around the date of 1810.

The clock is a superb example of the Empire style, which flourished under the reign of Napoléon I (1804-1815). The style is a powerful expression of imperial grandeur, characterized by its strict symmetry, classical motifs, and a profound interest in antiquity, particularly the art of ancient Rome and Egypt. The style’s themes often celebrated military triumphs, historical figures, and the arts and sciences, using materials such as gilded bronze, mahogany, and marble to create a sense of monumental luxury.

This particular clock, with its rare and charming “music” theme, perfectly captures the Empire’s celebration of the arts. It features a finely detailed scene of a young musician seated in a beautifully decorated chair, absorbed in reading a musical score. She is leaning on a small writing desk, which cleverly integrates the domed white enamel dial of the clock. The scene is further enriched with decorative elements such as rest partitions, a lyre adorned with a tablecloth, and a classical perfume burner resting on a slender round column.

The clock is entirely cast in finely chased and mercury-gilded bronze, a technique that gives the surface a brilliant, warm finish that has stood the test of time. The rectangular base is a masterpiece in itself, adorned with a row of pearls and intricate friezes featuring musical motifs of ribbons, trumpets, and cherubs as musicians-all classical elements used to evoke a sense of refined elegance and historical weight.

The original mechanism remains untouched and in excellent condition, featuring a silk thread suspension and striking the hour and half-hour on an old bell. The pendulum is of an excellent manufacture, and the clock’s overall authenticity and remarkable state of conservation make it a truly desirable and rare find for any discerning collector.
Mechanism of origin without modification, silk wire suspension, hour and half-hour bell on old bell.

Pendulum of excellent manufacture, Perfect authenticity as well as a remarkable state of conservation.