Object of the Day: A French Slate Clock

Dating to the late Nineteenth Century, this black slate temple-form mantle clock features an ormolu face and Corinthian columns. The face of the clock is marked, “James Wiseman, Paris.” The clock’s movement was made by Marti et cie—a famed Parisian maker of clockwork movements. Marti et Cie often made movements for other companies to use in clock cases of their own design.

This handsome clock has the clean lines that heralded the transition from more ornate Victorian styles to the more Classical motifs which became prevalent at the start of the Edwardian era. As if often the case with these slate clocks, this timepiece is quite heavy. While its movement is not presently in working order, the clock makes for a rather imposing decorative piece. Antique clocks are very touchy, but the beauty they bring is worth their inherent crankiness.

Object of the Day: An Antique French Mantle Clock

Gleaming black slate comprises the case of this unusually large mantle clock. Constructed in a “temple form,” the clock features three domes topped by bronze finials. The two side domes are supported by metal columns which have been painted a dark green—their capitals and bases, ormolu. An ornate ormolu mount adorns the central portion of the case—flanked by two bronze pilasters. Beneath the rows of columns, an ormolu frieze depicting birds is set into the slate.

This clock weighs more than I do. Getting it on the mantle was a two person job, but it was worth it. The movement and the style of the clock clearly speak of French handiwork, most likely of the mid-Nineteenth Century.

I’m fortunate that my father has a way with antique clocks and can resurrect even the most lost causes from the dead. Consequently, this clock is in perfect running order—happily chiming on the hour and half hour. At just over two feet wide and twenty inches in height, this clock is monumental, to say the least. I’m just glad the mantle in my dining room is sturdy.