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an antique statue of a man with a crown on his headstatue of a man carrying a bunch of children on his backa clock that has a bunch of fruit on top of itan image of a large vase with a clock on top of ita close up of a statue of a man with his hands on his cheststatue of a man with a bunch of birds on his heada statue of a man holding a baby in his armsa statue of a man with a bunch of hair on his heada statue of a boy holding a bunch of grapesan image of a bronze statue of two cherenshes and a babya bronze statue of a man holding a baby on his lapbronze statue of a man holding a baby in his armsa statue of a man holding a bird in his handsa close up of a clock with a hat on top of ita bronze statue of a man with a hat and a canea statue of a man holding a musical instrumentan image of a statue of a woman holding a vasean image of a statue of a woman holding a guitaran image of a statue of a woman with a vase on her headan image of a statue of a woman with a vase on her head
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83 - Frédéric-Eugène Piat (1827–1903) and Louis Léon Marchand (18…
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Estimate €50,000 - €60,000
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Description
Frédéric-Eugène Piat (1827–1903) and Louis Léon Marchand (1831–1899) ‘Faun and Child’ clock c. 1870 Cased clock in silver-plated bronze and red griotte marble Bears a vintage label on the front of the case bearing the number ‘260’ H. 290 cm Provenance: private collection, Normandy Exhibitions: 1873: Vienna World’s Fair Bibliography: -Claude Sauvageot, *L’art pour tous*, encyclopaedia of industrial and decorative art, Paris, *Librairies-imprimeurs réunis*, no. 264, 1870, p. 975; -Report of the French Workers’ Delegation to the 1873 Vienna World’s Fair, bronze workers, Paris, Librairie Ve A. Morel et Cie, 1874, p. 31; -Victor Champier, Musée de Troyes.... Decorative Art (Piat Museum). Descriptive and Catalogue Raisonné [by Louis Le Clert], preceded by a biographical note on Mr F.-E. Piat, 1897, p. 13 -Jean-Pierre Sainte-Marie, ‘A 19th-Century French Ornamentalist: Frédéric Eugène Piat’, in *Les Cahiers des Musées de Troyes*, no. 2, Troyes, 1976; -Victor Champier, ‘The Frédéric Eugène Piat Museum in Troyes’, in *Revue des arts décoratifs*, Paris, 1894–1895, Vol. 15, Year 15; -Arthur Maillet, ‘The Piat Museum’, in L’art décoratif moderne, Paris, 1898. -Vincent Lorion, The Work of Frédéric Eugène Piat at the Saint Loup Museum in Troyes – Master’s thesis supervised by Danielle Quéruel, University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Troyes University Centre, Master’s in the Protection and Promotion of Cultural and Environmental Heritage, September 2013, Vol. 1, pp. 45–46, Appendix: Catalogue of Works, p. 10, and Appendices D.14 p. 104, E1 p. 106 ‘Piat played an active role at the 1873 Vienna World’s Fair. Mr Thiers, then President of the Republic, having gone to view, at Marchand’s, the artist’s works—which were to be shipped to Austria for this new international showcase—was so enchanted that he immediately awarded a decoration to the creator of so many designs to which French industry owed so many successes. Marchand exhibited, in addition to a monumental footstool—which is currently at the Casino d’Aix-les-Bains—a charming clock: *Faun and Child*, one of the most delicate pieces ever to have emerged from Piat’s hands. ’ This is one of the very few recorded references to this masterful pendulum clock in silver-plated bronze and red marble, published in 1897 in the first catalogue (p.13) of the Musée d’Art Décoratif in Troyes, which the artist Eugène Piat helped to establish. The work, known only from an engraving published in 1870 in Claude Sauvageot’s book *L’art pour tous, encyclopédie de l’art industriel et décoratif*, is appearing on the market for the first time. It features a tall, quadrangular red marble plinth resting on two goat’s feet, surmounted by a group sculpted in the round in silver-plated bronze depicting a faun carrying two cherubs on his shoulders. Beneath the bust, a trophy of attributes—comprising musical instruments (horns, flutes) and garlands of foliage suspended from ribbons—emphasises the Bacchic and musical nature of the subject. At the top, a large pendulum vase supported by putti, of the covered urn type, serves as a housing for the clockwork mechanism. The minute dial is integrated into an annular band on the body, with numerals on a light background and a metal frame. Fluted side handles complete the silhouette. The lid is crowned with a bouquet of fruit and foliage in silver-plated bronze, extending the Bacchic iconography developed across the body of the clock. With its spectacular scale, the luxurious combination of materials and the invention of a mythological subject rendered in a highly theatrical decorative style, this case clock masterfully illustrates Piat’s great inventiveness in the design of this type of work. From the very start of his career, the artist specialised in the creation of clock designs. As early as the 1850s, he had already designed two pendulum clocks: *Enfant au timbre* and *Amours se riant du temps*. At the 1855 Paris World’s Fair, he presented the ‘Printemps et Automne’ model, crafted by the Depensier firm. Another clock model, entitled ‘Amour et fidélité’ (Love and Fidelity), depicting a child playing with a dog, was exhibited at the Industrial Arts Exhibition at the Palais de l’Industrie in 1861. Alongside the large mantelpiece dedicated to Minerva, designed for the 1862 World’s Fair, the Marchand stand also displayed a clock accompanied by two candelabra in the same Neo-Greek style. Our work *Faun and Child*, created around 1870, was, for its part, presented at the 1873 World’s Fair on Léon Marchand’s stand, alongside a remarkable fountain-pouf-planter (now housed at the Casino d’Aix-les-Bains). These two works earned the artist the Legion of Honour, awarded by President Thiers. The Report of the French delegation praised the work in the following terms: ‘The third fine piece in this exhibition was a clock in the shape of a vase carried by a satyr, with two children on his shoulders, tapering to a slender shaft. This monumental piece is one of the finest works in the exhibition. ’ (Report of the French Workers’ Delegation to the 1873 Vienna World’s Fair, bronze workers, Paris, Librairie Ve A. Morel et Cie, 1874, p. 31) Our cylinder clock, just like the large clock produced by Lemerle Charpentier and the large clock with barometer and thermometer manufactured by De Marnyhac – both of which were exhibited at the 1878 Paris World’s Fair — demonstrate a perfect command of composition and exceptional inventiveness, thanks to a rich repertoire of neoclassical motifs that perfectly met the decorative expectations of a wealthy bourgeois clientele. Expert: Cabinet Sculpture et Collection LACROIX.JEANNEST Information for buyers: All necessary export formalities shall be the responsibility of the purchaser.
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Auction time 07/04/2026 at 2:00 PM
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