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A very fine quality Empire gilt and patinated bronze Pendule ‘Au Sauvage’ of eight day duration signed on the white enamel dial à Paris, the dial with Roman numerals and a fine pair of pierced gilt brass hands for the hours and minutes. The movement with anchor escapement, silk thread suspension, striking on the hour and half hour on a single bell, with outside count wheel. The magnificent case by Jean-Simon Deverberie modelled as four young blackamoors with gilded loincloths and ivory eyes carrying a stretcher in which is set the circular dial amid drapery and surmounted by a figure of a half-draped huntress with ivory eyes, a bow in her left hand, a quiver of arrows on her back and accompanied by a leaping dog, the huntress seated on cushions, the whole upon a rectangular base cast with a frieze of conjoined hunting horns centred by a stag’s head and flanked by alternate dog and fox heads, on lion paw feet
Paris, date circa 1800
Height 58.5 cm, width 54 cm, depth 16 cm.
Exhibited: Saint-Omer, Musée de l’Hôtel Sandelin, “La Pendule au Nègre”, 29th April – 12th June 1978.
Literature: Tardy, “Les Plus Belles Pendules Françaises”, 1994, p. 245, illustrating an almost identical case but with a much simpler base and differing dial. Elke Niehüser, “Die Französische Bronzeuhr”, 1997, p. 152, pls. 248 and 249, showing an identical case with dial signed Invenit et fecit Deverberie rue Barbet à Paris and p. 237, pl. 802, illustrating an identical case model and with references to other identical or near identical case models. Pierre Kjellberg, “Encyclopédie de la Pendule Française du Moyen Age au XXe Siècle”, 1997, p. 354, pl. A, illustrating an identical case model but with a patinated rather than a gilt bronze dog.
In addition to the above one can also cite another identical clock in the Musée François Duesberg at Mons. Jean-Simon Deverberie’s (1764-1824) clock of an Indian huntress was one of a number of designs on the theme of le bon Sauvage, other celebrated models included his L’Amèrique and its pendant L’Afrique as well as L’Indien et L’ Indienne enlacés. L’Amèrique, which portrays a Negress with an alligator at her feet is of the same design as here but now the exotic personification of America is more closely associated with Diana the mythological huntress. Deverberie was probably the finest bronze manufacturer to produce clock cases on a similar theme, the first being La Négress, housing a movement by Furet and Godon which was presented to King Louis XVI’s wife, Marie-Antoinette in 1784. The present model dates from 1799 and continued in popularity throughout the Empire period. Deverberie who also acted as a marchand-mercier, was by 1800 established at rue Barbet; four years later he was at Boulevard du Temple and from 1812 until 1824 his business Deverberie & Compagnie was based at rue des Fosse du Temple.
The case design reflects the vogue for exoticism that prevailed during the eighteenth century and continued into the next. In particular it was inspired by the notion of le bon Sauvage, as aired by writers such as Rousseau. In 1767 the French explorer Bougainville arrived in Tahiti followed by Captain Cook in 1769. Accounts of the harmonious life of the South Sea islanders encouraged even the brightest wits of Paris and London to question their comparative corrupt European society. The notion of le bon Sauvage also inspired some of the greatest literary works of the period including Daniel Defoe’s ‘Robinson Crusoe’ (1719), Jonathan Swift’s ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ (1724), as well ‘Paul et Virginie’ (1787) by B. de Saint-Pierre and ‘Atala’ (1801) by Vicomte de Chateaubriand. In turn the latter two works were the subject for two wonderful clock cases previously owned by this gallery.
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