James Stratton
Director
Lot 28Ф,Y
A fine mid 18th century patinated bronze and ormolu elephant clock with warriors Bailly Laine à Paris
2 December 2025, 14:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street£15,000 - £20,000
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Lewis Walduck
Cataloguer
A fine mid 18th century patinated bronze and ormolu elephant clock with warriors
Bailly Laine à Paris
The majestic beast carrying a truncated castle housing a coloured terracotta figure of the Rajah, flanked by two figures at war, the left a gentleman throwing a large boulder, all surrounded by flying flags. The main body of the case with chainwork decoration and pierced sound frets backed in old red silk, supported by a finely cast patinated bronze elephant with ivory tusks and applied ormolu harnesses, now standing on a later wooden base with further ormolu mounts. The 5.5-inch white enamel dial with blue Roman numerals and black Arabic five-minute markers, with finely pierced and gilt brass hands. The large twin-train movement finely engraved on the back plate Bailly Laine à Paris in flowing script, striking the hours and half hours on a polished steel bell mounted to the back plate via a numbered count wheel, with silk suspension pendulum, currently ticking and striking. 45cms (18ins) high.
The majestic beast carrying a truncated castle housing a coloured terracotta figure of the Rajah, flanked by two figures at war, the left a gentleman throwing a large boulder, all surrounded by flying flags. The main body of the case with chainwork decoration and pierced sound frets backed in old red silk, supported by a finely cast patinated bronze elephant with ivory tusks and applied ormolu harnesses, now standing on a later wooden base with further ormolu mounts. The 5.5-inch white enamel dial with blue Roman numerals and black Arabic five-minute markers, with finely pierced and gilt brass hands. The large twin-train movement finely engraved on the back plate Bailly Laine à Paris in flowing script, striking the hours and half hours on a polished steel bell mounted to the back plate via a numbered count wheel, with silk suspension pendulum, currently ticking and striking. 45cms (18ins) high.
Footnotes
Provenance:
From a noble French family.
This clock is illustrated in Old Clocks and Watches and Their Makers by F.J. Britten (1932), page 31. At the time the photograph was taken, the clock retained it's original ormolu base, but this has since been replaced, probably to allow it to fit on a smaller mantel piece or shelf.