Mantel clock (pendule) 1770 - 1890

This mantel clock was made in Paris between 1870 and 1890 by the firm of Samuel Marti et Cie. It’s a beautiful example of the period’s fascination with ornate decoration and classical forms. The clock’s design speaks volumes about the cultural values of the time. Note how the clock is adorned with classical motifs: wreaths, urns, and stylized foliage all evoke the grandeur of ancient Greece and Rome. In nineteenth-century France, these references weren’t just decorative; they were a deliberate attempt to link contemporary society with a glorious past, to legitimize power through historical association. The presence of this clock in a museum like the Met raises important questions about taste, value, and institutional power. Art historians consult a wide range of period sources – exhibition catalogs, trade journals, private archives – to understand the original context and meaning of pieces like this. By studying these objects, and the institutions that collect and display them, we can gain insights into the social structures of the past, and their echoes in the present.