FR EN
1 / 6
a gold clock sitting on top of a marble tablea gold clock sitting on top of a marble tablea gold clock that is sitting on top of a tablea gold clock with a statue on top of ita gold clock that is sitting on a tablea small table with a clock on top of it
Premium Osenat

58 - APOLLO’S CHARIOT CLOCK
See original version (French)

Estimate €40,000 - €60,000
Sale commission
Description
APOLLO’S CHARIOT CLOCK in brown tortoiseshell marquetry and engraved brass, known as ‘Boulle’, decorated with stylised foliage scrolls, featuring a semi-circular console supporting Apollo’s chariot drawn by four horses, topped by a dial featuring Roman and Arabic numerals and a finial comprising fire pots and a figure of Fame, resting on bevelled uprights and caryatids, the rectangular base decorated with foliage and plumed mascarons; (restorations). The dial and movement are signed H. V. Soest Louis XIV period H: 128 cm, W: 56 cm, D: 35 cm This clock has quite recently undergone a minor alteration to the ends of the legs so that it can be used without its base. We shall provide the buyer with the parts removed during this process so that, if desired, they may restore this cartel to its original condition. It features the famous composition of the four horses of the sun by Jean-Baptiste Tuby (1635–1707), based on a design by Charles Le Brun (1619–1690) for the Fountain of Apollo in the grounds of the Palace of Versailles, which is also found on the famous case clock attributed to André-Charles Boulle and housed at the Palace of Fontainebleau. An identical clock is recorded as being held at the Château de Chambord, probably made in the same workshop but without a specific attribution and bearing no clockmaker’s name (source: POP, Ministry of Culture). The name H. V. Soest, which is likely to be read as H. Van Soest, immediately brings to mind the great cabinetmaker and merchant Henrik Van Soest, who was based in Antwerp and traded throughout Europe in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. In the absence of further evidence, it is interesting to note the role that Van Soest may have played in the manufacture of the clock’s case, possibly in the signing of the movement (in accordance with Antwerp’s guild regulations) and in the marketing of the entire piece, possibly through Parisian agents.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
About the sale The Golden Ages – Part 1
Auction location
Auction time 10/31/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
You may also like