Details
Image(s)
TitleMusical Table Clock with Organ Movement and Automata ‘Napoleon Clock’,
Creator Louis Moinet le jeune (watchmaker)
PlaceParis (France)
Year ca. 1805
Object number0602
Object nametimepiece with organ pipes, table clock
DescriptionThis empire-style vase clock shows the likenesses of Napoléon and his wife Josephine below the dial. Thanks to technical ingenuity, as the clock plays, they are "crowned" by two angels. The clock is fire-gilded, a process in which gold was dissolved in mercury. This created a liquid paste that could be spread over the clock. By then heating the whole thing with fire, the mercury evaporated and a thin layer of gold was left behind. With meticulous craftsmanship, this layer could be made matt or shiny.
Accompanying textsThe organ has 12 keys and 12 open metal pipes. All melodies are monophonic (melodic rather than harmonic), perhaps to imitate birdsong, and are programmed in a spiral on the cylinder. This manner of programming is also known as helicoidal notation.
It was initially thought that this instrument was offered by the city of Lyon in 1805 to Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte on a visit to that city, based on a letter that became available when the clock was later put up for auction. Whether the clock was actually donated by the city in 1805, or commissioned by Lyon, however, cannot be proven in this way. In any case, the coronation of Napoleon and Joséphine took place not long before, in December 1804. A salient detail is that at that time the imperial and papal powers had been in conflict for centuries. Napoleon organised his own coronation, with the presence of the pope, crowning himself as well as his wife. The maker of this clock managed to resolve this event diplomatically, making it happen on the clock by means of descending angels. The technique of fire gilding was widely used in France in the 18th and early 19th centuries, including on statues, furniture and bronze frames. The possibility of detailed and varied polishing of the remaining gold after gilding was a major advantage over gilding with gold leaf. However, it was obviously a toxic task because of the mercury vapours released when heated. It was therefore often outsourced to prisoners, who received certain privileges and gifts in exchange for their work. Because of the health hazard to craftsmen, the process of fire gilding was officially banned in 1930.
It was initially thought that this instrument was offered by the city of Lyon in 1805 to Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte on a visit to that city, based on a letter that became available when the clock was later put up for auction. Whether the clock was actually donated by the city in 1805, or commissioned by Lyon, however, cannot be proven in this way. In any case, the coronation of Napoleon and Joséphine took place not long before, in December 1804. A salient detail is that at that time the imperial and papal powers had been in conflict for centuries. Napoleon organised his own coronation, with the presence of the pope, crowning himself as well as his wife. The maker of this clock managed to resolve this event diplomatically, making it happen on the clock by means of descending angels. The technique of fire gilding was widely used in France in the 18th and early 19th centuries, including on statues, furniture and bronze frames. The possibility of detailed and varied polishing of the remaining gold after gilding was a major advantage over gilding with gold leaf. However, it was obviously a toxic task because of the mercury vapours released when heated. It was therefore often outsourced to prisoners, who received certain privileges and gifts in exchange for their work. Because of the health hazard to craftsmen, the process of fire gilding was officially banned in 1930.
Dimensions
geheel height: 79.5 cm
geheel width: 27.5 cm
geheel depth: 23.5 cm
cilinder length: 13.5 cm
cilinder diameter: 7 cm
geheel width: 27.5 cm
geheel depth: 23.5 cm
cilinder length: 13.5 cm
cilinder diameter: 7 cm
Digital references