Mathieu

Small portable Table Clock signed Mathieu l'Aîné A Paris, and dated 1776. 8-day duration rectangular movement with two simplified Maltese crosses on the barrels. Rack strike for the hours and half hours on a silvered bell situated below. Later cylinder escapement placed directly on the rear plate, with fine regulation graduations, allowing for transport without stopping. Enamel dial with Roman numerals for the hours and Arabic numerals for the 5-minute graduations, signed on the reverse by the dial-maker Barbezat and dated 1776. Lower cartouche with the clockmaker's signature Mathieu Aîné à Paris. Hinged turned and gilt brass bezel with a domed glass, 31-day silvered calendar through a window above 60, and 7-day week calendar on a horizontal disk above it. Finely cut and engraved brass gilt hands. Ormolu case with four glasses allowing a view of the movement through the two sides, the opening rear door and the top. Front ormolu decorations with Apollo in a medaillon above, surmounted by a knot of ribbons and acanthus leaves, the two lower corners with palm leaves and acanthus branches. Four ormolu turned topee feet surround the bell below, four ormolu urns and a foldable substantial handle on top.

Dimensions

Height (handle up) 9 ¼" (24cm), Width 5” (13cm), Depth 3 ½” (9cm)

Claude Mathieu

Known as L'AÎNÉ (1722-† after 1812) son of Claude, gardener, and Jeanne Douine. Married first to Jeanne-Marguerite Philipart, then to Anne Bogotte. Made compagnon in Paris in 1743, he presented his masterpiece in 1754, and was received as a master on the 31 July of that year by decree of 25 June exempting him from lack of apprenticeship.. He was established Rue Neuve des Capucines (1754), then rue Saint-Honoré accross the Hôtel de Noailles (1757). He was selling watches, clocks and articles of clothing ; he became a member of the Jury presiding over the matters of the new Time system in 1793. His business was carried on by his son-in-law B.L. Petit. Claude Mathieu used clock cases by P. Delacroix, M. Poisson and watch cases by J. de La Feuille. Many great collectors were his customers, amongst which was the Count de La Marck. One of his best creations was the clock “Vase with Allegories of Study and Geography”. It has a movement with rotating rings indicating the hours and minutes, and a separate dial with astronomical indications. It was delivered with the furnishing of the Michel Palace built by the Emperor Paul Ist in Saint Petersburg in 1798. It is to be found now in the Great Palace of the Kremlin in Moscow.

Bibliography

Tardy, Dictionnaire des horlogers français, Paris, 1972 ; Jean-Dominique Augarde, Les Ouvriers du Temps, La Pendule à Paris de Louis XIV à Napoléon Ier.