19th Century French Hand-Painted Porcelain Clock

Inventory number: C1809010

Height: 55cm

Length: 21.5cm

Width: 32.5cm

A tower-form gilt brass case. The square base raised on paw feet. Hand-painted porcelain set on each side, columns and the domed top. Inlaid with porcelain panel on each side of the plinth, depicting classical figures cupid and fairies, two columns and domed top also decorated by hand-painted porcelain with similar scene.

Porcelain painting was developed in China and later taken up in Korea and then Japan. Decorated Chinese porcelain from the 9th century has been found in the Middle East. Trade with Europe began in the 16th century. By the early 18th century German alchemist Johann Friedrich Böttger discovered how to make hard-paste porcelain. Porcelain painting was massively used in decorating mantel clocks to demonstrate their outlook.