Ormolu Appraisal

French Three-Piece Marble and Ormolu Neoclassical Clock Garniture

This is a lavish three-piece clock garniture set consisting of a central mantel clock and two matching side cassolettes, designed in the Neoclassical 'Temple' style. The pieces are constructed from heavily veined Breccia marble, primarily off-white with dramatic tan, brown, and grey inclusions. The clock serves as the centerpiece, featuring a pedimented architectural form supported by gilt-bronze (ormolu) fluted columns and ornate pilasters. The central clock face is housed in a circular brass bezel with a white enameled dial featuring Arabic numerals and decorative hands. Above the clock sits a marble dome with a bronze finial. The two accompanying flanking ornaments are designed as small open temples or rotunda-style cassolettes, each containing a small bronze-toned classical figure standing between columns. The craftsmanship is typical of late 19th-century French production, possibly Napoleon III era (circa 1870-1890). The metal components show a warm aged patina with some darkening, while the marble appears well-preserved with sharp edges and no immediately visible deep structural cracks, though surface dust and minor nibbles to the stone corners are consistent with its antique status. The intricate gilt-bronze friezes above the clock face and on the pilasters indicate high-quality casting. While no maker's mark is visible on the exterior, such sets often feature movements by makers like Japy Frères or S. Marti.