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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Clock · Mantel clock

French Large Gilt Bronze Mantel Clock by Ferdinand Berthoud

Partially verified

This large French mantel clock features a sculptured gilt bronze case depicting winged putti among clouds, birds, and attributes surrounding a circular drum dial. The source attributes the clock to Ferdinand Berthoud and reports the case casting to Jean Beurdeley. The white dial displays dual winding squares, pierced gilt hands, and central script reading Ferdinand Berthoud Paris, encircled by calendar months and zodiac or pictorial indications. The assembly rests on an ornate rectangular plinth decorated with scrolling foliate bronze mounts and supported by fluted toupie feet.

Front view of the French gilt bronze mantel clock with cherub mounts and calendar dial
Front view of the French gilt bronze mantel clock with cherub mounts and calendar dial — Doyen’s LLC. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
www.liveauctioneers.com
Category
Clock · Mantel clock
Maker / attribution
Ferdinand Berthoud
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
0051
Source-reported date
Not established
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

Reported Attribution and Manufacture

The auction listing attributes the clock to Ferdinand Berthoud and states that the case was cast by Jean Beurdeley. The source provides no further narrative explaining the relationship between the two named makers.

No movement markings, signatures, or foundry stamps are documented in the auction text to clarify whether the piece is an 18th-century movement in a later case, a 19th-century historicist creation, or a composite assembly.

Evidence for this section
  • “A French Large Gilt Bronze Mantel Clock. By FERDINAND BERTHOUD, Cast By Jean Beurdeley.”

Case Composition and Mounts

Direct visual observation of the piece shows a sculpted gilt bronze case with three gilded cherubs positioned around a central circular clock drum, accompanied by clouds, doves, trumpets, and floral garlands.

The drum and sculptural grouping rest upon a rectangular stepped plinth decorated with dark paneling overlaid with scrolling gilt bronze mounts, supported underneath by fluted toupie feet.

Evidence for this section
  • “Three sculpted gilded cherubs surround the circular clock drum alongside clouds, doves, trumpets, and floral garlands.”
  • “The stepped base features dark paneling overlaid with scrolling gilt bronze mounts and rests on fluted toupie feet.”

Dial and Visual Features

The white dial displays dual winding arbors, pierced gilt hands, Arabic numerals, and script reading 'Ferdinand Berthoud Paris'. It is bordered by an outer ring showing calendar months and zodiac medallions.

The internal movement, escapement, and case reverse are not depicted or described in the source documentation, leaving the specific caliber and running mechanism unrecorded.

Evidence for this section
  • “The dial features dual winding arbors, pierced gilt hands, a Ferdinand Berthoud Paris signature, Arabic numerals, and an outer ring illustrated with calendar months and zodiac medallions.”

Cataloguing Limitations

The source provides minimal cataloguing detail, reporting the condition solely as 'Good for its age' without detailing mechanical functioning, escapement type, or specific surface wear.

Key physical specifications such as height, width, depth, and weight are not recorded in the listing.

Evidence for this section
  • “Condition Good for its age”

Open research questions

  • What stamps, signatures, or foundry marks appear on the movement backplate and the reverse of the bronze mounts?
  • What are the physical dimensions and weight of the clock?
  • What is the mechanical layout, train configuration, and escapement type of the movement?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for French Large Gilt Bronze Mantel Clock by Ferdinand Berthoud
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
MakerFerdinand Berthoud“By FERDINAND BERTHOUD”
CasterJean Beurdeley“Cast By Jean Beurdeley”
Lot Number0051“Lot 0051”
ConditionReported as 'Good for its age'“Condition Good for its age”
Auction Estimate$120,000 - $130,000“Estimate $120,000 - $130,000”

Visible details

  • Three sculpted gilded cherubs surround the circular clock drum alongside clouds, doves, trumpets, and floral garlands.
  • The dial features dual winding arbors, pierced gilt hands, a Ferdinand Berthoud Paris signature, Arabic numerals, and an outer ring illustrated with calendar months and zodiac medallions.
  • The stepped base features dark paneling overlaid with scrolling gilt bronze mounts and rests on fluted toupie feet.

Research qualifications

  • The source description provides no movement photographs, dimensions, or technical specifications.
  • The listing links 18th-century horologist Ferdinand Berthoud with 19th-century bronze caster Jean Beurdeley without documentation or explanation of the chronological gap.

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

Consulted source

A French Large Gilt Bronze Mantel Clock. By Ferdinand Berthoud - Jan 31, 2025 | Doyen’s Llc In Ca

Reviewed 2026-10-21 · Record e158f142df

Terms in this record

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

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