Bault et Cie, à Paris.

It depicts a female figure reading by an oil lamp seated at a table with draped sides and claw feet supported by a Verde Antico marble base with bold ormolu feet.

The well-lettered porcelain dial has black Roman numerals, Arabic 15-minute marks, steel-cut Breguet style hands and is signed by the maker, ‘Bault et Cie, à Paris’.

The eight-day twin barrel movement strikes on a bell and still retains its original silk thread suspension that is regulated for fast/slow at the backcock.

The model ‘La Liseuse’ was originally designed by the famous bronzer Reiche who submitted the drawings to the Academy in 1805. Unlike earlier clocks it does not pay tribute to classical themes, but is a tribute to knowledge and learning.

For a similar example and description see ‘French Bronze Clocks’, pg. 86.