Bronze and porcelain clock by Lévy Frères, coming up for sale at Quentin in Berlin.
Its mantle clocks combined ornate gilt bronze cases with finely painted porcelain panels. These were often inspired by Sèvres and depicted renowned Old Masters, such as Raphael’s Madonna della sedia, as well as rococo portraits and genre scenes.
Incidentally, among the apprentices at the firm was Pierre Auguste Renoir, who started his artistic career as a porcelain painter.
In 1855, the recently opened Victoria and Albert Museum in London purchased a bronze and porcelain clock by Lévy Frères at the Exposition Universelle in Paris for £19 4s 0d.
Today’s bidders are expected to invest at least €1200 for this 20in (50cm) high striking, bronze and porcelain clock, which is coming up for sale at Quentin in Berlin on October 30.
