A very rare Austrian Louis XVI gesso, gilt and patinated bronze and gilt-wood figural tallcase clock by JM Schmit in Wien. The massive two tone gesso case has a square base with canted corners to the front that supports a clock on a stepped plinth flanked by a nearly full size figure of Urania above. The whole is adorned with numerous gilt-wood moldings and decorative elements that include military trophies on the doors, stylized butterflies to the sides, a pointer, star and large pharaoh and snake appliqués to the chamfered corners.

The well-carved figure of Urania, dressed in flowing drapery, casually leans against the plinth and embraces the large blue sphere elaborately decorated with ormolu stars.

The silver engraved chapter ring dial has large Arabic numbers for the hours, Arabic numbers for the five-minute marks, is signed by the maker, ‘JM Schmit, Wien’ and has two very nicely cast ormolu hands.

The high quality eight-day quarter-striking movement is accessed through a hinged door in the back of the sphere, has two brass-bound un-compounded weights, a high quality dead-beat escapement, a pendulum suspended by spring, the screwed beat adjustment on the crutch and strikes on two large nested bells.

In Greek mythology Urania was the muse of astronomy and astrology. She is usually depicted with a globe in one hand and a pointer in the other.

During this time period Napoleon’s campaign had been to Egypt and the treasures with which he returned were both well received and enormously influential on the European decorative arts.