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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Clock · Mantel clock

A. Maurel Bordeaux Louis XVI Style Gilt Bronze Mantel Clock

Partially verified

This French mantel clock dates to the Napoleon III era, circa 1870, and is crafted in the Louis XVI revival style. The fire-gilt bronze case features a shaped plinth base resting on four decorated block feet, embellished at the front with a central relief lion mask, laurel branches, and a beaded frieze. Above, a drum-shaped housing is flanked by foliate volutes draped with sculpted floral garlands and surmounted by a floral bouquet finial. The white enamel dial is marked with Roman numerals for the hours and Arabic numbers for five-minute intervals, set behind pierced hands and pierced by dual winding arbors. The interior houses a round French movement signed by A. Maurel of Bordeaux, fitted with a spring suspension and a half-hour bell strike.

French Louis XVI style gilt bronze mantel clock, signed A. Maurel Bordeaux, c. 1870.
French Louis XVI style gilt bronze mantel clock, signed A. Maurel Bordeaux, c. 1870. — Kunst- und Auktionshaus Quedlinburg / Invaluable. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
www.invaluable.com
Category
Clock · Mantel clock
Maker / attribution
A. Maurel Bordeaux
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
679
Source-reported date
c. 1870
Country
France

Source-reported attribution and specifications are not independent authentication. A listing does not establish present ownership, current display, availability or permission to reproduce.

Object description

Physical Composition and Design

This mantle clock is constructed from fire-gilt bronze and measures 38 x 23 x 13 cm. It is described as a French mantel clock in the Louis XVI style, originating from the Napoleon III era.

The object features a shaped plinth with four decorative block feet, centered with a lion mask and laurel leaves. The drum-shaped clock case is flanked by side scrolls with sculpted floral garlands and topped by an architectural finial featuring a floral bouquet. The housing incorporates a pearl frieze.

Evidence for this section
  • “Bronze, fire-gilt”
  • “38 x 23 x 13 cm (HxWxD)”
  • “crafted in the opulent Louis XVI style”
  • “high-quality work from the Napoleon III era, around 1870”
  • “The curved plinth on four decorated block feet is dominated on its facade by a central lion's mask with laurel leaves and is finished with a fine pearl frieze”
  • “drum-shaped clock case, flanked by side scrolls with cascading, fully sculpted floral garlands”
  • “An architectural top with a lavish floral bouquet crowns the clock”

Dial and Movement

The clock has a white enamel dial with Roman hour numerals and Arabic minute numerals, framed by a bezel with a pearl frieze. The hands are described as pierced and in the Louis XVI style.

The internal round movement is noted as signed 'A. Maurel Bordeaux'. It features a spring suspension and a half-hour strike on a bell. A winding key is included.

Evidence for this section
  • “white enamel dial displays Roman numerals for the hours and Arabic numerals for the minutes, framed in a bezel decorated with a pearl frieze”
  • “The pierced hands are also in the Louis XVI style”
  • “movement signed “A. Maurel Bordeaux””
  • “French round movement with spring suspension and half-hour strike on a bell”
  • “key is present”

Condition and Attribution

The fire-gilding is described as well-preserved with partial rubbing. The movement is reported as running, though the auction house explicitly excludes guarantees regarding function and mechanical completeness.

Attributions to the maker A. Maurel of Bordeaux and the dating to approximately 1870 are based on cataloguer and consignor information, which the auction house states may be subject to expert contradiction.

Evidence for this section
  • “The fire-gilding is well preserved and only partially somewhat rubbed”
  • “The movement is running”
  • “Bei technischen, mechanischen und elektrischen Geräten haftet der Versteigerer weder für Funktion oder Vollzähligkeit der Bauteile noch für die Gängigkeit bzw. Funktionstüchtigkeit des Objektes”
  • “Werk signiert „A. Maurel Bordeaux“”
  • “Diese Künstlerangaben, Datierungen sowie Angaben zu verarbeiteten Materialien basieren auf der Meinung vom Versteigerer und Angaben der Einlieferer, der durch Sachverständige oder international anerkannte Experten widersprochen werden kann”

Open research questions

  • Are there specific historical trade records for a clockmaker named A. Maurel in Bordeaux?
  • What are the implications of the 'Second Empire' context on the manufacturing process of bronze clocks in the Bordeaux region?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for A. Maurel Bordeaux Louis XVI Style Gilt Bronze Mantel Clock
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
Maker / Movement SignatureA. Maurel Bordeaux“movement signed “A. Maurel Bordeaux””
MaterialFire-gilt bronze“Bronze, fire-gilt”
Dimensions38 x 23 x 13 cm“38 x 23 x 13 cm (HxWxD)”
Movement MechanismRound movement with spring suspension and half-hour strike on bell“French round movement with spring suspension and half-hour strike on a bell”
Period / DateNapoleon III era, around 1870“high-quality work from the Napoleon III era, around 1870.”
AuctioneerKunst- und Auktionshaus Quedlinburg“78. Art and Antiques Auction by Kunst- und Auktionshaus Quedlinburg”
Lot Number679“Lot 679”

Visible details

  • Fire-gilt bronze drum-form case surmounted by a sculpted bouquet finial
  • White enamel dial with Roman hour numerals, Arabic minute markers, pierced hands, and dual winding arbors
  • Curved plinth base with decorated block feet, centered with a lion mask flanked by foliage

Research qualifications

  • Internal movement signature and mechanical components are not visible in the provided photo
  • Operational condition and timekeeping accuracy cannot be verified from the photograph

Photograph identity and source facts were screened before import; rights clearance remains pending.

Consulted source

Sold at Auction: Splendid Mantel Clock by A. Maurel Bordeaux, Gilt Bronze, Louis XVI Style c. 1870

Reviewed 2026-10-26 · Record d81991e622

Terms in this record

Glossary explanations for terms named in this object’s record.

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