LeFebure a Fontainebleau

The rectangular glazed ormolu case has numerous decorative appliques including a palmette border, five decorative finials, five-pointed stars to the sides and a reeded cupola with a hinged handle above.

The white porcelain dial has black Roman numerals for the hours, black Arabic numbers for the five-minute marks, cast ormolu hands, is signed by the maker, ‘LE BURE A FONTAINEBLEAU’ and is indistinctly signed on the back by the enameler.

The eight-day spring driven movement has turned pillars, an anchor escapement, a silk-suspension, a silk thread pendulum with a decorative lock and carries the spring loaded repeat work on the back-plate. Located under the handle are two bells and three hammers. While running, the single hammer strikes the hours and half-hours by torsion on the larger bell. When manually activated by pull cord the two other hammers count the quarters on both bells and then the single hammer counts off the hours.

Jean Lefebvre was admitted master in 1733 and became clockmaker to the King working in Paris and Fontainebleau.

The springs are signed ‘Novembre, 1762’.