Pendule ancienne

A Consulat mahogany, silver and gilt bronze cartonnier clock,
the dial signed Lepaute à Paris indicating the date according to the Republican calendar – circa 1799-1804

Height: 32 cm. (12 ½ in.)   Width: 29.3 cm. (11 ½ in.)   Depth: 20.7 cm. (8 ¼ in.)

Comparative Literature

E.Dumonthier, Les pendules et bronzes du Mobilier National, Paris, 1911, pl. 53, no. 8.

Dictionnaire des Horlogers Français, Paris: Tardy, 1971.

 An identical mahogany and gilt bronze clock, signed Lepaute Horloger de l’Empereur, is in the Administration des Beaux-Arts (Dumonthier, op. cit., no. 8).

Two identical clocks in vert de mer and black marble and gilt bronze were sold:

• PIASA, Paris, 19 December 2003, lot 45, signed Lepaute et Fils Hgr du Roi, and then with Richard Redding
• Koller, Zurich, 23 June 2010, lot 1263, signed Lepaute et Fils Hgr du Roi, and then with Richard Redding

Correspondence of the Gregorian and Republican calendars

The Republican calendar ran from 22 September to 21 September each year.

The year was divided into 12 equal months of 30 days each, plus 5 or 6 national holidays at the end of each year originally known as sans-culottides, renamed after 24 August 1794 as jours complémentaires (complementary days).

Each month was divided into three equal parts of 10 days called the first, second, and third décade.

The names of the days of each décade were: Primidi, Duodi, Tridi, Quartidi, Quintidi, Sextidi, Septidi, Octidi, Nonidi, Décadi.

The names of the months were:

For Autumn: Vendémiaire, Brumaire, Frimaire.

For Winter: Nivôse, Pluviôse, Ventôse.

For Spring: Germinal, Floréal, Prairial.

For Summer: Messidor, Thermidor, Fructidor.

Year II began on 22 September 1793; Year XV began on 22 September 1806. In practice, the use of this calendar ceased on 1 January 1806. However, one can still indicate 1807 as Year XVI and 1808 as Year XVII (see Tardy, op. cit., 1971).