French 18th Century Marble & Bronze Clock

This 18th century French clock is made of marble and bronze. It stands at 13" high. Its dial is hand painted and glazed enamel. The work is that of Lemerle & Charpentier, "Bronziers a Paris", circa 1785. The six pieces of stacked marble are white with faint gold accents, the material probably originating from Carrara in Italy. The polished bronze lost-wax castings show the royal bee decoration, meaning that this could well have been in one of the royal houses before the French revolution. The works is all hand-cut bronze, with gears cut on an early gear machine, with teeth hand finished. The pendulum is also made of bronze.
Interestingly, the two candelabra side pieces appear to match, but were found several years later in a completely different location. This sits on the mantle of the fireplace in our home. We no longer use it to keep time, but it is in perfect working order. A beautiful and rare object of simple elegance, a reminder of handmade beauty.