James Stratton
Director
Lot 31Y
A fine and rare early 18th century French Tête de Poupée quarter repeating table timepiece of small size Tallon Le Fills A Paris
2 December 2025, 14:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street£3,500 - £5,000
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Lewis Walduck
Cataloguer
A fine and rare early 18th century French Tête de Poupée quarter repeating table timepiece of small size
Tallon Le Fills A Paris
The bombe case surmounted by a cast gilt bronze cockerel over a decorated ormolu bell top, on a moulded tortoiseshell base with gilt mounts to each corner and a central applied mount, the front door cast with decorative work and the sides with engraved boulle panels, the moulded base with knurled decoration raised on four bun feet. The 4-inch dial with enamel blue Roman numerals on shaped white enamel cartouches, framed by a minute band and Arabic five-minute markers, the centre with cast decoration of an urn among floral motifs, the dial plate engraved with further foliate patterns and a regulation dial to the top, signed Tallon Le Fils A Paris, with blued steel hands. The movement with shaped plates following the outline of the case, united by four square pillars, with verge balance wheel escapement and an engraved balance bridge mounted to the backplate, signed below and fitted with open click and ratchet work. The quarter repeating mechanism repeating on a pair of bells mounted above. Ticking and repeating. Sold together with a winding key. 28cms (11ins) high.
The bombe case surmounted by a cast gilt bronze cockerel over a decorated ormolu bell top, on a moulded tortoiseshell base with gilt mounts to each corner and a central applied mount, the front door cast with decorative work and the sides with engraved boulle panels, the moulded base with knurled decoration raised on four bun feet. The 4-inch dial with enamel blue Roman numerals on shaped white enamel cartouches, framed by a minute band and Arabic five-minute markers, the centre with cast decoration of an urn among floral motifs, the dial plate engraved with further foliate patterns and a regulation dial to the top, signed Tallon Le Fils A Paris, with blued steel hands. The movement with shaped plates following the outline of the case, united by four square pillars, with verge balance wheel escapement and an engraved balance bridge mounted to the backplate, signed below and fitted with open click and ratchet work. The quarter repeating mechanism repeating on a pair of bells mounted above. Ticking and repeating. Sold together with a winding key. 28cms (11ins) high.
Footnotes
The Talon family were established in Paris in the later years of the 17th century. Louis Tallon, the earliest recorded member of the family worked from 1696 in the Rue Coquillere. After he took his son, Louis, into the family firm, their clocks were signed 'Tallon le fils' until later in the 18th century.