Cartel clock c. 1741

Jacques Caffieri crafted this gilt bronze cartel clock sometime between his birth in 1678 and death in 1755. Cartel clocks were luxury items; their ornate designs mirroring the wealth and status of their owners during the French Régence and Louis XV periods. Consider the craftsmanship and opulence. The gilded bronze speaks to the wealth derived from colonial exploitation, including the exploitation and enslavement of African people. The very notion of time, measured so precisely by this clock, contrasts sharply with the disrupted temporal realities of those displaced and enslaved. These clocks often featured allegorical figures. Here we can see classical figures and motifs. These references to antiquity served to legitimize the aristocratic tastes and power structures of the era. As you stand here, reflect on the layers of history embedded in this decorative object. Consider the labor, the power dynamics, and the complex entanglements of art, wealth, and identity.