Bontems, 344.  Signed on case, movement and bird movement.

An exceptional late 19th century gilt-bronze and champlevee mantle clock with a singing bird by Bontems, no. 344. The bird flaps it’s wings, rotates it’s head and body and moves it’s beak and tail when activated by the clock or manually.

The gilt-bronze case depicts a female figure dressed in a flowing gown interacting with a singing bird perched on a decorative dressing mirror. The top portions of the case are extravagantly decorated with champlevee, the shaped base has cast decorative elements and the whole stands on a felt covered ebonized base. The case is signed in two places by Bontems – once partially hidden by the top part where it is stamped with the Bontems’ trademark and the other on the back where it carries the number beside a small flying bird.

The champlevee and gilt-bronze dial has Roman numerals on black cartouches and decorative gilt-bronze hands.

The time and strike movement is stamped ‘H&F, Paris’,  carries the Marti trademark stamp, is numbered ‘344’, has the fast/slow out the front, strikes on a bell and activates the bird at each hour.

The animation movement sits in the ebonized base, carries the Bontems’ trademark stamp and is wound and manually activated out the side of the ebonized base.

The dome is slightly too high, but fits so well we decided to leave it.

The birdsong lasts about 20 seconds per hour or will continuously play on demand.

For one of the only other known examples see:  https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/19799/lot/27/

For a video of it continuously playing see our YouTube channel –  bird clock