19th C. French Louis XVI Sèvres-Style Porcelain & Ormolu Mantel Clock, Signed Theodore B. Starr Ny

Details

Description

Few antique clocks combine provenance, craftsmanship, and visual drama the way this one does. Retailed by Theodore B. Starr — … Read more Few antique clocks combine provenance, craftsmanship, and visual drama the way this one does. Retailed by Theodore B. Starr — the Gilded Age's most distinguished New York jeweler and importer of fine European decorative arts — this is a clock that was made for a great house and belongs in one today. The Metropolitan Museum of Art counts Starr among the most prominent and influential luxury firms in New York City during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

THE CASE
The porcelain body is hand-painted in the finest Sèvres manner: delicate pink roses climbing gold lattice trellis, floral garlands looping across neoclassical trophy-of-arms panels, ribbon bows on the upper column, and painted wreath medallions ringing the base. Every inch was finished by hand. In the manner of the Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres; Louis XVI Revival taste, Napoleon III period.

THE MOUNTS
The ormolu mounts are extraordinary. Flanking caryatid busts — draped classical figures crowned in laurel — rise from scrolled acanthus leaves with exceptional sculptural refinement. The crown finial is a tour de force: a cascading arrangement of roses, open blossoms, and a cherub nestled among gilded petals. The sub-frame features lion's paw feet joined by swag chains — the signature of the very finest Louis XVI Revival ateliers.

THE MOVEMENT
The movement is an authentic French round-plate pendule de Paris — the correct format for the finest Parisian clock movements of the 1880–1900 period, consistent with makers such as Japy Frères, Vincenti, and Marti. Critically, the movement features blued steel springs — a deliberate quality choice that distinguishes premium French movements from lesser examples, where unblued steel was standard. Movement number 519 is stamped on the back plate. Original winding key included. Movement present and complete; recommend service by a qualified horologist.

THE DIAL
The signed enamel dial reads "Theodore B. Starr / New York." Starr supplied the Vanderbilts, Astors, and the great estates of Newport and the Hudson Valley. Finding his name on a piece of this quality — paired with a premium blued-steel movement and museum-grade ormolu — is exactly what serious collectors look for. The paste crystal jewel bezel adds a final layer of opulence.

This is not a decorative reproduction. It is a genuine example of 19th-century French clockmaking at its peak, with American Gilded Age provenance. It will not be repriced down lightly.

Origin: French, circa 1880–1900

Style: Louis XVI Revival, Napoleon III period, in the manner of the Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres

Provenance: Boston-area private estate

Condition: Good antique condition. Minor wear to gilt consistent with age. Light crazing on porcelain. Movement complete — recommend horologist service.

Dimensions: Approx. 22" H × 11" W × 8" D See less