Featured Late XIX Century Japy Freres faux tortoiseshell Boulle work mantel clock

This is the newest member of my collection. It’s my first Japy Frères and it’s encased in a what seems to be a Boulle style faux tortoiseshell. The engraving in the back is “Japy Frères et Cie * Grd. Med. D’Honneur”, which makes me believe the clock dates from something between 1855 to 1873, as in 1873 Japy Frères won a Grd Diploma d' Merit at the Expo Universelle Vienna, and this would be the engraving in clocks after this date.

As I’m just a small collector and lover of antique clocks, will appreciate any information that can be shared on my newest acquisition.

 

I am not a clock person, but I would make some observations about the character of the materials. The gilded fittings appear quite rough, and not well burnished. The back of the case also looks rough and poorly finished.

Here is a previous thread on another boulle style mantel clock that might be helpful

https://www.antiquers.com/threads/french-tortoise-shell-clock-help.50416/#post-2246531

I have found references to reproductions of boulle style clocks made in France in the 1950s -
https://www.countryfrenchinteriors....ell-and-bronze-boulle-mantel-clock-with-base/

From your photographs, I cannot tell where the Japy medallion is placed. Is it on the mechanism?

 

It also looks IMHO newer to me,especially the ormolu-but I'm nowhere near a clock expert.

 

https://www.coleccionbbva.com/en/autor/japy-freres-et-cie-2/

After 1888 it changed its signature to “Japy Frères et Cie, Medaille d’Honneur”, with a cross in the centre.

 

have you looked behind the bell?

 

just a quick look with rococo japy horloge de table

https://www.1stdibs.com/fr/meubles/...-japy-frères-en-bronze-musique/id-f_10917411/

 

who are you talking to ?

 

whomever has the clock in their hands.......

 

der ...

 

just because a post follows one of yours ....does not mean the poster is talking directly to you.
Sometimes random posts can get caught in between a conversation...

 

It is stamped on the back of the movement, so it's a Japy movement dated between 1867 and 1873. I don't think it is an original Andre-Charles Boulle case, reason why I mentioned Boulle "style". Similarly, I said it is faux tortoise shell.

 

Yes, the medal is stamped on the movement and can be seen when the bell is removed.

 

@komokwa

I didn't understand because there is a photo of the medalion ....

 

I would date your clock to the very end of the stamp’s time span, i e 1873 or so.

So, @Marcos Scheuenstuhl , perhaps you can share some knowledge as well. The tone in which you mention Japy Freres makes me think that you hold the movement in some regard. Is that accurate? At times I’ve thought of the movement as of rather middling quality, often used with more elaborate top quality cases. But I would like to hear/read what you have to say about it.

 

I'm not seeing Boulle work here. I don't think the combination of tortoiseshell with ormolu mounts (real or simulated) constitutes Boulle work. Boulle is a marquetry inlay process.



The last picture there shows the two Boulle states: "premier partie" is tortoiseshell ground with metal inlay, and "contra partie" with metal ground and tortoiseshell inlay.

 

the only photo of the mechanism shows the bell clearly in place ....so I couldn't tell where the medallion was located....
Its always good to have a shot of the bell removed to see what's going on underneath...

also , the OP states...The engraving in the back......
the medallion is a stamp......so seeing what he meant by removing the bell is important...