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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Clock · Skeleton mantel clock

Directoire-Style Skeleton Clock in Gilded Bronze, Signed 'Le Roy à Paris'

Partially verified

This French Directoire-period skeleton clock in chiseled and gilded bronze features a dial signed 'Le Roy à Paris'. The white enamel dial exhibits Roman hour numerals and Arabic five-minute intervals, set within an openwork foliate gilt-bronze ring surmounted by an eagle with outstretched wings. The structure rests on four baluster-crested columns decorated with smooth, guilloché, and chiseled sections above a circular base raised on four feet. The pendulum bob consists of a pierced circular medallion with an eagle modeled in relief. The seller reports a two-train mechanical movement striking on a bell.

Front view of the gilded bronze Directoire skeleton clock with eagle mounts
Front view of the gilded bronze Directoire skeleton clock with eagle mounts — Le Grenier d'Augustine / Proantic. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
www.proantic.com
Category
Clock · Skeleton mantel clock
Maker / attribution
Le Roy
Reference
1814380
Catalogue / lot identifier
Source URL identifies the listing
Source-reported date
Late 18th century
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

Identity and Aesthetic Design

This skeleton clock is executed in chiseled and gilded bronze. The source attributes the piece to the Directoire period, noting that it incorporates neoclassical motifs such as the eagle.

The structure features an openwork design elevated on four columns, which alternate between smooth, guilloché, and chiseled surfaces. The dial is surmounted by an eagle, and a second eagle in relief appears within the pendulum's pierced medallion.

Evidence for this section
  • “skeleton clock in chiseled and gilded bronze”
  • “from the Directoire period, late 18th century”
  • “rests on four tall gilded bronze columns, alternating between smooth, guilloché, and chiseled surfaces”
  • “surmounted by an eagle with outstretched wings”
  • “adorned at its center with a second eagle with outstretched wings, rendered in relief within a circular openwork medallion”

Dial and Visual Condition

The clock features a circular white enamel dial signed 'Le Roy à Paris' at the bottom. The dial displays Roman hour numerals and an Arabic numeral minute track, accompanied by slender gilded brass hands.

The enamel surface shows signs of wear, specifically reported as chips, cracks, and small areas of loss.

Evidence for this section
  • “circular white enamel dial displays the hours in Roman numerals and a peripheral minute track in Arabic numerals”
  • “signed “Le Roy à Paris” at the bottom”
  • “Some chips, cracks, and small areas where the dial enamel is missing”

Mechanism and Documentation

The clock contains a two-train mechanical movement with a bell chime. The source documentation refers to the pendulum as a 'balance wheel,' though this terminology is inconsistent with the functional description of a skeleton clock pendulum.

Internal components such as the movement plates are not visible in the provided reference imagery.

Evidence for this section
  • “Mechanical movement with two gear trains, featuring a bell chime”
  • “The balance wheel, which is particularly decorative”

Open research questions

  • Does the 'Le Roy' signature correspond to a documented member of the Le Roy clockmaking family?
  • Are the movement plates and striking mechanism consistent with 18th-century Parisian production standards?
  • What is the extent of gilding wear as it relates to the clock's age?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Directoire-Style Skeleton Clock in Gilded Bronze, Signed 'Le Roy à Paris'
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
Maker's signatureLe Roy à Paris“signed “Le Roy à Paris,” from the Directoire period, late 18th century.”
Height38.5 cm“Height: 38.5 cm”
Diameter12 cm“Diameter: 12 cm”
MaterialChiseled and gilded bronze“skeleton clock in chiseled and gilded bronze”
Movement typeMechanical two-train movement with bell chime“Mechanical movement with two gear trains, featuring a bell chime.”
Height38.5 cm“Height: 38.5 cm”
Diameter12 cm“Diameter: 12 cm”

Visible details

  • White enamel dial displays Roman hour numerals and Arabic five-minute markings with visible hairline cracks near 7 and 8 o'clock.
  • A gilded bronze eagle with outstretched wings crowns the circular pierced dial surround.
  • The pendulum bob consists of a circular pierced disc with a raised eagle figure.
  • The clock structure is elevated on four turned and patterned columns standing on a circular plinth with small feet.

Research qualifications

  • Dial exhibits chips, hairline cracks, and enamel loss visible near the lower numerals.
  • Source text mistakenly refers to the pendulum bob as a 'balance wheel' ('The balance wheel, which is particularly decorative, is adorned at its center with a second eagle').
  • Internal movement plates and bell are not directly visible in the provided frontal photograph.

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

Consulted source

Proantic: Directoire-style Skeleton Clock In Gilded Bronze With Eagles

Reviewed 2026-10-25 · Record 8d620adcc4

Terms in this record

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

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