Large Cercles Tournants Pendule “The Three Graces”

Description

France, Napoléon III period, c. 1860
Gilt bronze & white marble – Height: 78 cm

A grand pendule à cercles tournants, revisiting François Vion’s celebrated 18th-century design in the opulent taste of the Napoléon III era. Time is displayed by rotating enamel rings within a globe upheld by the Three Graces — goddesses of beauty, joy, and elegance.

This neoclassical-revival masterpiece reflects the refined craftsmanship and sculptural grace that defined the Second Empire. The model, originally created in Paris around 1770, became a symbol of harmony between art and time, with examples now preserved in the Musée du Louvre and Musée Nissim de Camondo.

An icon of French bronze artistry — luminous, balanced, and eternally beautiful.