A 19th century French 'Farret a Paris' ormolu mantel clock, surmounted with a courting couple, with intricate ormolu decoration to the body, on scrolled feet and cherub playing lute to base. The clock depicting a country landscape and with an eight day French movement and silk cushioning. Stamped to the movement: 'Farret a Paris', C.L. Baumgartel, Leipzig' and 'Medaille d'Argent Vincenti', circa 1885 65 cm high.
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- Circa - A Latin term meaning 'about', often used in the antique trade to give an approximate date for the piece, usually considered to be five years on either side of the circa year. Thus, circa 1900 means the piece was made about 1900, probably between 1895 and 1905. The expression is sometimes abbreviated to c.1900.
- Movement - The technical name for the workings of a clock or watch, and does not include the dial or case.
- Ormolu - Ormolu was popular with French craftsmen in the 18th and 19th century for ornamental fittings for furniture, clocks and other decorative items. True ormolu is gilt bronze, that is bronze that has been coated with gold using a mercury amalgam. Due to the health risks associated with using mercury, this method of creating ormolu was discontinued in France in the 1830s. A substitute was developed consisting of about 75% copper and 25% zinc, however it was inferior to the bronze version. It was often lacquered to prevent it tarnishing.
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