Small Clock with Horizontal Rotating Face, 1767
Gilt bronze by Pierre Gouthière (1732–1813)
Lapis lazuli, agate, gilt bronze, and enamel
Private collection
Inscription on the collar: fait par gouthiere ciseleur doreur / du roy quay pelletier 1767
(Made by Gouthière Chaser Gilder / to the King Quay Pelletier 1767)
Early in his career, Gouthière created a number of models that could be customized for various clients, as this clock and the other small clock have been. The example here is made of semi-precious stones, using lapis lazuli for the column and agate for the covered vase, while the other clock is made of wood originally painted in imitation of lapis lazuli but now covered by a thick layer of dark blue paint. Both clocks are signed and dated on their circular bases, under the frieze of acanthus leaves, with an engraved inscription similar to the one found on the Pittsburgh ewer (see the pair of ewers).
The attribution of the two clocks is based primarily on the authenticity of the signature and the similarity of the chasing to that on other pieces made by Gouthière in the 1760s.