“The Vineyard” after Charles Cumberworth (1811 -1852)
A fine Louis-Philippe ormolu figural clock, signed on the movement, “L. Ravrio A Paris” and with the trademark of Honoré Pons, circa 1840
22¼ in [56.5 cm] H
13 ½ in. [34.3 cm.] W
8 in. [20.3 cm.] D
The clock case was produced by Louis-Stanislas Lenoir-Ravrio (1783 - 1846), successor to the bronze founder, Antoine-André Ravrio (1759-1814) who had risen to prominence at the end of the 18th century with designs in the neoclassical taste. The case, adorned with leafy scrolls an fruit, serves as a plinth to display an allegory of Autumn and the harvest. The figure is by Charles Cumberworth, (1811 - 1852), a French sculptor who specialized in art bronzes produced for the growing middle class. After 1837, Cumberworth worked exclusively for Susse frères, whose foundry remains in business to the present day.
The clock’s eight day movement is dated on the mainspring, 1839. It has an anchor escapement, thread suspended pendulum, and count wheel striking of the hours and half hours on a bell. It was supplied by Honoré Pons, one of several entrepreneurs responsible for mechanizing the production of clock manufacture in France. Established in 1807, he ultimately perfected machinery that made it possible to deliver 100 finished movements a week to his customers in Paris.
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