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A Magnificent Chinoiserie Gilt Bronze & Porcelain Mantel Clock by Barancourt. Cast by Maison Millet. France, Circa 19th Century.
20”x15”
A superb 19th-century French Chinoiserie mantel clock, cast by the esteemed Maison Millet and signed Barancourt à Paris on the dial. This luxurious clock features a finely detailed gilt bronze figure of a Chinese man seated atop a fantastical, dragon-like creature, evoking the period’s fascination with the exotic and mythical.
The dynamic composition is richly decorated with polychrome porcelain flowers and rococo foliage, forming a theatrical backdrop that frames the clock’s spherical celadon-glazed porcelain body. The white enamel dial displays Roman numerals and pierced gilt hands, encased in a finely chiseled ormolu bezel.
The figure, dressed in flowing Eastern garments, clasps a coiled serpent, while below him, scalloped seashells and stylized waves form a marine-inspired base—typical of the romanticized Chinoiserie style.
Maison Millet’s masterful casting, combined with Barancourt’s precision clockwork, results in a piece that exemplifies the finest 19th-century French craftsmanship and decorative art.
