Lot 707 , Cartier, a rare and unusual urn clock, Paris, circa 1904

Cartier, a rare and unusual urn clock, Paris, circa 1904, designed as a neoclassical handled urn in deep blue glass with foliate silver mounts, rotating hour and minute rings in black and white enamel with gilt detailing beneath the lid, height approximately 24cm, pedestal signed Cartier Paris, floral festoons deficient, crack to lid

Cf.: Cartier Exceptional Objects, Editions Palais Royal, 2019, book 1, p.50, for an identical clock in blue glass with its original floral festoon fittings, which also states that the present clock was one of a series made by César and Sthummer, Prévost and Brédillard, delivered to Cartier Paris in 1904, variously in marble and 'blue turquoise' in addition to the blue glass found here.

The Cartier Collection Timepieces, Flammarion, 2006, p.35-6, for illustrations of similar clocks in the Cartier collection
Christie's Geneva, 21 July 2020, lot 92, for another example of this rare model

Provenance: a private family collection
£4,000-6,000

Condition:
Crack to lid beneath finial. Festoons deficient. Element highlighting hour and minute appears slightly off centre. Minor cracks to white enamel but overall in good condition. Extensive loss of gilding. Lid is removable, revealing the mechanism. Mechanism not inspected beneath cover plate, but appears original and intact. Does not appear to wind - peg does not rotate when attempted with key at time of writing, so requires careful expert examination before operation can be properly attempted. Specialised restoration recommended.

Sold for £13,000