A Louis XVI Lyre Clock

A Louis XVI gilt bronze mounted white marble mantel clock,
the dial signed Cousin Hger de Mgnr Conte d’Artois – Circa 1785

Height: 21 ¾ in. (55 cm.) Width: 9 in. (23 cm.)   Depth: 5 in. (12.5 cm.)

This clock has the distinctive feature of an oscillating movement and dial which acts as a pendulum.

The white enamel dial indicated the hours with Roman numerals and the minutes with Arabic numerals by means of cut and gilt brass hands and the seconds by means of a blued steel sweep hand. The triangular-shaped movement acts as the pendulum with a knife-edge suspension and pinwheel escapement and chimes the hours and half-hours by means of a count-wheel on the backplate.

Joseph-Simon Cousin (1754- after 1789), maître on 5 June 1778, had the title of Horloger de Monseigneur le Comte d’Artois before 1781.