Restoration of a Boulle marquetry mantel clock, composed of brown tortoiseshell and brass, adorned with chased and gilded bronze mounts. The clock features a monumental rooster (royal emblem), a central mascaron with a satyr's head, caryatids, and two doves beneath a draped dome. The movement is signed GRIBELIN.
Nicolas Gribelin
Nicholas Gribelin, son of Abraham Gribelin, Valet de Chambre-Clockmaker to the King, was born in Blois on November 27, 1637. By the end of the 17th century, he had established himself as one of the most renowned clockmakers of his time. In 1674, Gribelin was appointed clockmaker to Monsieur le Dauphin, the son of Louis XIV. On June 5, 1675, he officially received his master's letters. Around 1682, he set up a workshop on the rue de Bussy. Gribelin often collaborated with André Charles Boulle (1642-1732), to create the cases for his large clocks. Four clocks by Gribelin were listed in the inventory of the Dauphin's clock collection in 1689. Gribelin died in Paris in 1719. His works are preserved in important museums and collections worldwide, notably at Versailles, the British Museum in London, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
State of affairs report
As is often the case with Boulle marquetry, a significant portion of the brass is detached and some pieces are missing. The structure is in good condition, except for the front left upright which is broken at a knot in the wood.
The Restoration
The restoration involved gluing and reinforcing the weakened upright to strengthen the structure. The missing brass elements were pre-cut before the adhesives were rehydrated under vacuum and all the plated surfaces were bonded. A shellac varnish was then applied before the cleaned bronze elements were reinstalled.
