French Porcelain Clock Garniture Set, ca. 1875
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GUEST:
This has been in my family for many generations, at least back to my great-grandmother, but maybe before. I remember it in my grandmother's house, I remember it in my mother's house for many years, and it runs, it chimes. It's interesting, I have to keep it dead flat because if it's slightly tipped, it gets prissy and it won't run.
APPRAISER:
Right.
GUEST:
So I have to put it in a right place.
APPRAISER:
Yeah, it needs to be balanced for sure. It's nice. It's certainly the longest surviving member of your family.
GUEST:
Yes. (chuckles)
APPRAISER:
Well, it's a special clock, it really is. It's special because of the painted panels that it has. This is a French clock. Although it says, "Alex M. Hays & Company, New York," that was just a retailer. It was made circa 1870, 1880. Really, the start of the aesthetic movement with these beautiful prunus blossoms and the birds and the butterflies. And you can see that it's done on the sides as well, these panels. And on this side. And then on the back you'll see that it has this frosted glass. It's a wonderful size, and the fact that these panels are in such great condition. The garniture set, however, has had some wear to it. So these garnitures have been really over-cleaned. You can see where it's missing a lot of the original gold paint where the white shows through. These are purely decorative, really no function other to help decorate the clock. The movement was made by Japy Frères, and you can see the movement in the back. It's a really nice quality movement. But it's just a time and strike, no added complications. It keeps time, it strikes the hour on the hour. As you said, you appreciate it.
GUEST:
And half-hour.
APPRAISER:
And the half-hour as well, that's correct. Just to let you know, once as it passes, which is nice. And this is a movement we see in a lot of clocks. But they were brothers that were really amazing industrialists, made from coffee grinders, to typewriters. Some people refer to these as crystal regulator clocks. You can see the detail with the nice beveled glass. It has its original hands. It's just in wonderful condition, and it's a clock that I don't see a lot of. This clock with the garniture set in a retail situation would probably sell for $4,500.
GUEST:
Wow, that's great. (squeals softly)
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