Table clock, Louis XVI style; Germany, XIX century. Porcelain. There... Lot 14

Table clock, Louis XVI style; Germany, XIX century. Porcelain. There are faults in the porcelain. No key. Measurements: 45 x 42 x 12 cm. Table clock made of porcelain. The piece has been conceived as a sculptural ensemble, where the main figures are arranged around the clock case. As for the main structure, it is set on a rectangular base that rests on six legs, three at each end. Painted ornamentation in relief can be seen in the area of the base, which is in the form of a garland. In the upper area, where the clock case is located, we can see the figure of the god Apollo with his lyre, and at the far end, Athena, wearing her characteristic helmet and shield, which identify her as the goddess of war. Finally, the piece ends with a large goblet of classicist aesthetics. The style of the figures and the tonalities are largely reminiscent of the works popularised by the Meissen Manufactory, which was the first European factory to produce genuine porcelain. Production was started by the scientist Ehrenfried Walther von Tchirnhaus in 1708, and after his untimely death his work was continued by Joahnn Friedrich Böttger, who remained virtually imprisoned on the factory premises in order to protect the secret of the porcelain formula. Meissen porcelain production began in 1710, one year after the manufactory was founded by Augustus the Strong, and soon achieved great fame throughout Europe. After an initial production in rococo style, which evolved towards neoclassical in the 1750s, the 19th century saw a new style known as "second rococo", inspired by the early productions of the manufactory, which coexisted with other historicisms, including round sculpture, mainly in enamelled porcelain, following both rococo and neoclassical models.