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Hôtel des Ventes de Clermont-Ferrand
148
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BONTEMS IN PARIS (attributed to) c. 1880–1890
See original version (French)
148
-
BONTEMS IN PARIS (attributed to) c. 1880–1890
See original version (French)
Estimate €6,000 - €8,000
Voluntary lot
Description
BONTEMS IN PARIS (attributed to) c. 1880–1890
Clock with singing birds
Set within a tree crafted from bronze and polychromed metal with fabric leaves, an automaton mechanism brings six singing birds to life, all surmounting a chiselled and gilded bronze clock decorated with garlands, foliage, scrollwork and a basket of flowers.
Winding-key mechanism with six movements. Movement signed in enamel on the Bolviller dial.
(Restorations to the mechanisms, the dial’s enamel and the bronze; presented under a glass globe with a slit at the back)
Total height including glass dome: 88 cm; height of the clock alone: 63 cm; width: 45 cm
Made in Paris, this set bears the hallmark of Bolviller’s horological precision and the artistry of the Bontems workshop’s automata. Blaise Bontems (1814–1881), captivated by the beauty of birdsong, made a name for himself with his automata featuring realistic melodies, ranging from the nightingale to the canary, including the finch and the blackbird, which he would listen to patiently in the forests of his childhood. After perfecting his art in the Vosges, he established his own workshop in Paris in 1849 and presented his creations at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851. By the 1860s, his fame had spread internationally, with ninety per cent of his automatons finding buyers abroad.
See original version (French)
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Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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