A PAIR OF RESTAURATION ORMOLU CHENETS

The dynamic bounding hounds depicted in this impressive pair of chenets relate to a design for a mantel clock representing La Repos de Diane aprés la Chasse by Jean-Desmosthé Dugourc (collection of the Musée des Arts Decoratifs, Paris). Three recorded examples of this magnificent clock are known, all of which have Royal French provenance. One example with inventory marks from Château de Saint-Cloud, later in the Bergsten collection was sold Christie’s, New York, 2 November 2000, lot 228 ($160,000 including premium). Frustratingly whilst the clockmaker Robert Robin was recorded in 1785, the name of the bronzier was not. Both Quentin-Claude Pitoin (1770-1806) and Jean-Jacques Caffieri (1725-1792) also produced related models with hounds.