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Elegant Empire mantel clock “Flora” signed Bazile-Charles Le Roy

Mythological Empire Clock “Flora” Signed Bazile-Charles Le Roy

Very beautiful chiseled and gilt bronze mythological Empire mantel clock representing the goddess Flora. She is spilling a basket of roses on the celestial sphere which houses the movement. Also this sphere is carried by clouds. Further, the oval base has decorations of theatrical masks, musical instruments and satyr masks on each side at the bottom relief. Finally, the sculpture and decorations have a beautiful mat and glossy mercury gilding.

The enamel dial signed “Le Roy Horloger de Madame à PARIS ” for Bazile-Charles Le Roy who was appointed watchmaker of his Imperial and Royal Highness Madame Mère of the Emperor in 1805.

Details Of This Mythological Empire Clock “Flora”

This Empire clock is in a excellent condition with beautiful gilding. The movement has a 8-day going train and striking train and the back plate is stamped “L R B Z”. The white enameled dial, signed “Le Roy, Hr de Madame“, shows Roman numerals for the hours and stripes for the minutes. Further, the original clockwork has a silk suspended pendulum and anchor escapement. It strikes the hours and half hours on a bell, regulated by a count wheel. The clockwork is in perfect working condition and comes complete with pendulum, bell and key.

France ca. 1810.
Dimensions: 34 cm high, 30 cm wide and 13 cm deep.
Weight: 5.2 kg.

Bazile-Charles Le Roy (1765-1839)

The clock movement was made by the esteemed maker Bazile-Charles Le Roy (1765-1839). He was the son of the clockmaker Bazile Le Roy (1731-1804). Bazile-Charles founded the House of Le Roy at 60 Galerie de Pierre, Palais-Royal shortly after 1785 when the duc d’Orléans (Philippe Egalité) opened up the Palais-Royal gardens to the public and the buildings to the trade. This enabled Le Roy and a number of other clockmakers to set up shop in the arcade galleries. During the Revolution he worked for the Republic signing his clocks ‘Elyor’. Afterwards he moved the business to Galerie Montpensier, 13-15 Palais-Royal, where the concern was to remain for almost a hundred years.

The following years saw his appointment as clockmaker to Emperor Napoleon, to Madame Mère, Princess Pauline, Jérôme Bonaparte King of Westphalia and in 1829 as royal clockmaker to the ducs de Bourbon and de Chartres. His house exhibited clocks at the Paris Exposition l’an VI (1797/8) and again in 1819, 1823 and 1827.