David

Mearto specialist

Hello James, Thank you for sending in this clock to mearto.com for an appraisal. I will try to help you with this today. TITLE: Dore bronze and kingwood veneer in the Boulle style, spring driven, eight day time and strike, mantel cartel clock, in the style of Louis XVth, unsigned case made in Italy and attributed to Imperial, movement made in Germany by Franz Hermle & Sons, Gosheim, Germany, circa 1975-1990s. DESCRIPTION: Case -Size not supplied - An architectural (cathedral) mantel or cartel clock made of kingwood veneers with foliate decorations, surmounted by a Dore bronze fenestrated foliate finial resting on a veneered inverted bell pediment with ormolu mounts and egg-and-dart ornamentation. Below, a rounded arched cornice, also edged in Dore bronze with a male facial mask at the center, is placed just over the glazed concentrically shaped dial door, the latter also with borders of foliate decorated veneers. The edge of the door has a rococo ormolu surround. A Dore bronze ornament of sculpted foliage, resembling the finial, sits in front of the base of the glazed door. The case edges have ormolu type mountings with curled gilded acanthus leaves at the corners of the base with a shaped lines with ormolu ‘C’ scrolls and golden leaves at the center of the base skirting between two acanthus leaf gilt feet. Dial - A two part round hammered brass dial with bold enameled Roman hours in white porcelain shield shaped cartouche form, each numeral separated from the next by gilt floral ornaments and gilt beaded rings to both the inside and outside of the hours. The hammered brass dial center has a plethora of foliate forms, a profile of a male bust, two winding apertures for the springs and stamped skeletonized machine made steel Chippendale-style hands. The dial is signed ‘made in Italy’. Movement – Rectilinear shaped 15 cm, solid brass movement plates with punctate markings on the rear plate and marked for the Franz Hermle & Son Clock Company with their name and logo in the bottom right corner of the rear plate. This is their movement number 151-080. There are tubular pillars holding the plates together most likely with screws on the front plate (not seen). There is often a pendulum suspension that is in the form of an arched cutout at the upper end of the rear plate where the brass crutch emerges from an aperture at the rear of the movement to hold the pendulum rod in place. A rounded form of pendulum suspension, screwed to the rear plate is frequently seen and was always a Germanic indication. The movement is powered by two steel barrel springs, of eight to fourteen day duration and striking the hours and half hours, most likely on a set of two bells above the movement. Condition – The clock is in very good condition and is now about four decades old. It is wearing nicely and beginning to show signs of age with some fading of the colorful flowers in the veneering at the front of the case. The dial is quite good and the movement is considered original to this case and functional. HISTORICAL: 1) - HERMLE CLOCK CO. The Hermle clock factory was at Gosheim in the Black Forest region of Germany was founded by Franz in 1922 as a supplier and subcontractor for the Kienzle clock company of Schwenningen. Franz died in 1935, but had been joined by his son Gebhard in 1929. The factory was demolished during WW ll but by 1951 Gebhard and a loyal staff had it up and running once again. He died in 1976, but the firm was then run by Hans and Heinrich Hermle, with 450 employees, and still one of the major suppliers of movements to the world up to today. 2) - ITALIAN CLOCKS-MODERN: The names of Farbel, Imperial and Lancini are all interconnected in the manufacturing of fine reproductions of 18th century French furniture and clocks. It is very likely that they are all names used by the same individuals for their furniture companies in making late 20th century reproductions of early French furniture and clocks. FARBEL is one of the most important manufacturing Italian firms in the foundry sector. Brass, bronze, aluminum, copper, steel, are raw material that every day are used directly inside their factory. The technology allows them to manufacture small or large quantities. FARBEL was begun in 1966 with exporting and their products worldwide. FARBEL's founder is Giuseppe Belotti. Belotti sought perfection, quality, esteem, capturing the sumptuous qualities in the history of the European decorative arts. Originally he stated, "Made in Italy" is our guarantee. I believe Farbel used the name Imperial on their clocks. Lancini signed Italian made clocks during the 1980’s. I am fairly certain that these were connected to the Farbel foundries and the Imperial name as well. COMPARABLES: https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/72192700_a-large-antique-french-boulle-mantel-clock-of-scrolling (sold in 2019 for 280 Pounds) https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/71653938_antique-gubelin-swiss-boulle-mantel-clock-215-x95 (a Swiss made for Gubelin Jewelers, sold for $850 in 2019) https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/69686854_19th-century-french-red-stained-tortoiseshell-and-cut (sold in 2019 for 240 Pounds) https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/68366717_italian-louis-xvi-style-mantel-clock (sold in 2019 for $550) https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/61867266_louis-xvi-style-hermle-boulle-mantel-clock (sold for $250 in 2018) My fair market appraisal is based on actual recent past comparable sales recorded at auctions of similar modern Italian replicas of mid -18th century French mantel clocks The fair market value would range from $400-$500 at auction today. Retail "asking prices" can, of course, be significantly higher and vary. It was my pleasure to be of service to you today. Thank you using mearto.com My Best, David