A violin-shaped cartel and bracket in red-tinted tortoiseshe - Lot 244

A violin-shaped cartel and bracket in red-tinted tortoiseshell veneer, adorned with a rich rocaille-style ormolu and chased bronze trim decorated with jagged acanthus leaves, asymmetrical shells, cartouche and palms. It stands on four curved, scrolled feet. The gilt bronze dial plate features twelve white enameled cartouches indicating the hours in Roman numerals and thirteen pastilles indicating the minutes in Arabic numerals. The movement and dial are signed: Gilles Le Cadet à Paris. Paris. Louis XV period. H _126 cm W _43 cm D_21 cm Restoration. Suspension modified. The pendulum, winding key and small key to open the front door are present. Provenance: Galerie Pellat de Villedon In the final years of the Louis XIV style, when the cartels are placed on a console, the straight forms adopt a violin-like silhouette. Their ornamentation takes up, but softens, a number of decorative motifs used during the Grand Siècle. However, the shells are elongated and openworked, the mascarons smile and the acanthus leaves are agitated. New elements, such as chimeras and "espagnolettes", were added to the trim. Around 1730, rocailles, cut foliage, garlands of flowers and clouds from which dragons or figures emerge invade the bronze decor in unbridled asymmetry. Copper and tortoiseshell marquetry, sometimes embellished with mother-of-pearl, still appeals to a traditionalist clientele. Many prefer a newcomer, green-tinted horn, or the rarer red-tinted horn, like tortoiseshell. Expert: Stéphane PEPE Expert: Stéphane PEPE