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210 - A rare clock featuring the ‘LE FUMEUR’ automaton.
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Estimate €25,000 - €30,000
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Description
A rare clock featuring the ‘LE FUMEUR’ automaton. It depicts a Caribbean man richly dressed in a multicoloured costume embellished with golden florets. The movable head is inlaid with glass eyes. The dial, set upon the broad abdomen, is white enamelled with Roman numerals and Breguet-style hands. It is signed ‘Houdin Paris’. It rests on a circular scagliole base with small spinning-top feet. The pipe is signed by the Scouflaire Manufactory in Onnaing. First half of the 19th century. H. 60 cm. D. 26 cm. (restorations; minor losses) Jacques-François HOUDIN (1783–1860), a clockmaker whose signature appearing on our clock corresponds to his establishment from 1804 to 1840 at the Palais du Tribunat (Palais-Royal), Galerie de Pierre. It was in 1821 that Pierre Scouflaire founded, in Onnaing, near Valenciennes, the famous eponymous clay pipe factory of the Nord region. This model is the only known example in this version. The figure depicted is thought to be Toussaint Louverture in Empire-era attire. The other versions are in gilded bronze, the creation of which is traditionally attributed to Thomire. Few models have been recorded to date. One of them is now part of the collections of the F. Duesberg Museum in Mons. Another similar clock, smaller in size and mounted on a mahogany plinth, is held in the Royal Collections of Spain. Finally, a third is held in the Colonna Walewski collections.
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About the sale Provenance and Collection
Auction location
Auction time 10/30/2026 at 11:00 AM
Lot description modified on 10/13/2026 at 7:23 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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