Overview
A rare antique ebony portico clock made by J. Valery, mid 19th century, with a case full of beautiful foliate motifs from inlay of brass, tortoise shell and Mother Of Pearl. The clock features an ornate bezel depicting 10 unique creatures gathering for combat, and a gridiron pendulum depicting a dragon. The clock uses Brocot Suspension and is in fully working order, keeping perfect time. This is a rare timepiece, of collection quality.
Highlight
- beautiful inlay of brass, tortoise shell and Mother Of Pearl
- extremely ornate bezel, depicting 10 unique creatures gathering for combat
- very ornate embossed gridiron pendulum, depicting a dragon surrounded by scrolled leaves
- fully working, keeping perfect time
Details
- a 2-train clock (time + strike)
- enamel dial with Roman numerals
- ebonized case with beautiful foliate motif from inlay of brass, tortoise shell and Mother Of Pearl, relatively rare
- extremely ornate bezel, with foliate motif and a story, very rare
- bezel depicts a scene of 10 creatures gathering for combat. Creatures include bull, eagle, dragon, boar, hound, vulture, goat, snake and the other 2 unidentified.
- include original gridiron pendulum
- very ornate embossed pendulum, depicts a dragon surrounded by scrolled leaves
- French round 8-day spring driven movement
- use Brocot Suspension
- use Count Wheel Striking Mechanism
- striking on each half and full hours
- marked “Valery Paris” on the movement - maker of the movement
- marked “Valery a Paris” on the dial - maker of the case and dial
- marked “C.T” on the movement - possibly the finisher
- include a winding key
Period
- circa 1860, between 1850 and 1880
- Brocot Suspension commonly used starting 1850
- Count Wheel Striking commonly used before 1880
Style
- portico clock
- wooden clock
- ebonized clock
- brass, tortoise shell and Mother Of Pearl inlay
Maker
- French
- case: J. Valery
- movement: J. Valery
- dial: J. Valery
Size
- 51 cm H / 29 cm W / 16.5 cm D
- 20 inch H / 11.5 inch W / 6.5 inch D
Material
- wooden case
- brass movement
- brass, tortoise shell and Mother Of Pearl inlay
- enamel dial
Condition
- overall fine condition
- fully working, keeping perfect time
- some chips on the dial
- 1 piece of tortoise shell inlay and 1 piece of brass inlay missing
J. Valery - Clockmaker (French, active 19th Century)
- Valery is a French clockmaker specialized in producing portico clocks.
- Valery commonly marks his work “Valery” or “J. Valery”.