English Ormolu Boudoir Clock ~ the art of love by F Baetens, Gerrard St London ~ English - Circa 1820 ~ ~~ Excellent condition, fully working ~~ A rare and divine ormolu (mercury fire gilded / bronze doré) English boudoir clock. The exquisite miniature chain fusee movement is by the excellent maker F Baetens of 23 Gerrard Street London, the makers mark is on the inside of the front plate. The case is classical in style. It features a young woman reading, surrounded by symbols of the arts including a harp and a globe to the top of the clock.

To the base of the clock are two hounds and a laurel wreath and to the right of the clock is a stack of books, the top one being inscribed l'art d'aimer d'Ovide (The art of love by Ovid).

Ovid, born in 43 BC. BC to Sulmona in central Italy and died in 17 AD in exile in Tomis (now Constanta in Romania), is a Latin poet who lived during the period that saw the birth of the Roman Empire. Born into a wealthy family, Ovid studied rhetoric in Rome. Leaving early legal and administrative career, he became famous thanks to its collections of poems, the Loves , the Heroides , the Art of Love and Remedies love . At the age of eighteen, his father allows him to travel to Athens, which will mark the journey and feed his works. After the age of forty, he abandons the gallant poetry to write Metamorphoses, a poem divided into fifteen books containing the stories of Greek and Roman mythology.

The dial is engraved and silvered with it's original blued steel hands and bezel with convex glass. The rear door is also glazed to allow the movement to be seen.

The single chain fusee movement is of the usual fine quality that one finds on Baetens’ work and is signed for the makers on the inside of the front plate. We have seen this on a number of clocks by this maker. The signature reads ‘F. Baetens, 23 Gerrard Street, London.’ The clock has a nicely shaped heavy pendulum with a small brass bob which is probably original.

F.J. Baetens is recorded in Kent's London Directory of 1820 as a 'bronze or-moulu manufacturer' working from 23 Gerrard Street, London and is also listed in Brian Loomes' Watch and Clock Makers of the World Volume 2.

Click the video clip below to hear and watch the clock running!

Condition of the case is very good, the original gilding is beautifully clean and bright with just some wear and discolouration in places. The dial is also in excellent condition with bright silvering. The front glass has been replaced we think at some time and the rear door hinge is a little weak. A rare and beautiful survivor from almost 200 years ago! 

  
Clockmaker's mark on the inside of the front plate - F. Baetens, 23 Gerrard Street, London

Complete with pendulum and a suitable key. Full setting up instructions supplied if required.

Click the movie player below to see the this actual clock run -
(large file, may take a moment to start).