Luigi Valadier (1726–1785)
Egyptian Clock
1785
Hardstones, various marbles, gilt bronze, and mosaic
24 3/4 × 14 1/8 × 9 1/2 in. (63 × 36 × 24 cm)
Private collection
Mauro Magliani
As well as being interested in classical antiquity, eighteenth-century patrons also had a taste for ancient Egyptian art. The Borghese family commissioned an entire Egyptian-style room for their villa on the outskirts of Rome. Valadier designed this extraordinary clock with Egyptian motifs for Villa Borghese.