Restoration of a large cartel clock (137 cm high) and its corbel with brackets, from the Regency period. Made of solid oak, it is veneered in Boulle marquetry Made of brown tortoiseshell and brass, it is adorned with floral garlands, crosshatching, and foliage. Its chased and gilded bronze dial features interlacing patterns and birds. The Roman numerals are enameled, and a reserve bears the signature St. Martin à Paris. The mainplate also bears the same name. Finally, on the capital, chased and gilded bronzes depict Hebe and Jupiter's Eagle. There are also chimera heads, shells, scrolling foliage, busts of men and women, cupids, a ribboned putto, and faces adorned with feathers.
Hebe and Jupiter's Eagle
Hebe is the allegory of eternal youth, which the Romans call "Juventas".
Thus, as the goddess of eternal youth, she serves nectar at the table of the gods, before Ganymede takes her place. As for the eagle, it represents Zeus, her father.
I therefore propose an interpretation of the symbolism of the bronzes on this panel. This interpretation is done from bottom to top.
Furthermore, Antoine Saint-Martin, son of Paul-Jean, settled in Paris on rue des Fossés-Saint-Germain in 1715. Then he lived on place Dauphine from 1741 to 1748. Sworn in 1734, he thus founded a dynasty of watchmakers which would practice until 1870.
State of affairs report
As is typical with Boulle marquetry, most of the brass had come loose, and missing pieces needed to be replaced. Furthermore, cracks marred the base of the lamp stand in three places, as well as the back door and the capital. In short, all the glues had dried out, and nothing held together anymore, not even the joints of the case.
The Restoration
We therefore reattached all the elements of the cartel clock, both structural and plated. For this, we carried out all the gluing under vacuum. Then, we replaced the missing brass and tortoiseshell pieces, gluing them like the rest with fish glue.
Then we filled the saw cuts with Roubo putty before applying a thin coat of clear varnish with a pad. Finally, we simply cleaned the bronzes with hot steam.
To see previous restorations : https://ebenisterie-mathieuvath.fr/en-ce-moment-a-latelier/
