A Louis XV Ormolu Cartel Clock Attributed to Cressent and Jean-Joseph Saint -Germain with the movement By Antoine-Nicolas Duchemin

Having a circular enamel dial signed by Duchemin A Paris and with separate blue enamel Roman numerals showing the hours. Surmounted by a Diana seated on clouds resting under a volute and flanked on one side by a Putti blowing a horn and on the other side a dog looking up at Diana. Decorated on each side with bouquets of flowers, foliage, and jagged shells. Signed Duchemin Paris on the back plate. Antoine-Nicolas Duchemin became Maitre Horloger in 1741- 1761 Provenance Chateau d’Artigny, near Montbazon in the Loire Valley. The current Chateau was built between 1912 – 1928 by the perfumer Francois Coty. He bought the original Chateau in 1912 but felt that the Chateau was unbalanced and badly placed on the cliff overlooking the Indre River. He had the Chateau pulled down and rebuilt 12 meters further away on new foundations. Over 100 workers laboured for over 12years to build the new Chateau and it was filled with art treasures. Unfortunately, after the crash of 1929 and due to a costly lifestyle, a disastrous divorce Coty fortune was much diminished and he was forced to sell the majority of his art collection at the Galerie Charpentier in 1936. Illustrated Tardy “Dictionary des Horlogers Francais”, 1971 .p.194