Restoration of an 18th-century Louis XV period clock case made of Martin varnish, with a red lacquer background and polychrome oil-painted decoration. The case of this clock was made by François Duhamel and the movement is signed by Michel Lamy, clockmaker to Monseigneur the Dauphin.
François Duhamel
A Parisian cabinetmaker, born in 1723, received as a master on February 3, 1750, he lived until February 2, 1801. He resided on rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, and his specialty was the manufacture of clock cases.
In 1775, he was tasked with appraising the goods of his colleague Antoine Foullet, following the death of this cabinetmaker, who had dedicated himself to the same type of work. His period of activity seems to have ceased three or four years later.
LAMY Michel
Born in 1721, he signed his work LAMY at the Louvre early in his career. He then became clockmaker to the Dauphin until 1748 before becoming clockmaker to the King and taking up residence in the Louvre. Monseigneur the Dauphin He worked until 1748 before becoming clockmaker to the King and taking up residence in the Louvre. He obtained his master's certificate on September 3, 1767, in Paris. In 1771, he took out a perpetual annuity from the French East India Company before dying on February 21, 1807, in Paris.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- French Furniture of the 18th Century – Pierre Kjellberg – Les Editions de l'Amateur – 1989
- The workshops Parisian cabinetmakers and joiners in the 17th and 18th centuries – Guillaume Janneau – Serg Editions – 1975
- National Archives/Châtelet of Paris and Provostship of Île-de-France/Y/9331/Central Notarial Records / ET/XLVI/664/
- Tardy's Dictionary
State of affairs report
It had a very yellowed varnish as well as flaking and some structural and veneer detachment.
The Restoration
After consolidating the wooden frame, reattaching the plaster, and filling a few gaps, a gentle cleaning and dusting was carried out. We performed a very light varnish restoration before addressing the few remaining imperfections and reapplying the varnish to preserve as much as possible and avoid compromising the furniture's condition.
