Clock - 19.5x13x7 In.
Candelabra - 18x11x6 In.

A three-piece garniture set, comprising a mantel clock and a pair of five-light candelabra, cast in gilt-bronze (ormolu) with turquoise porcelain accents. In decorative arts, a garniture refers to a coordinated ensemble made to be displayed together, typically with a clock at the center and side pieces arranged symmetrically on the mantel.

The clock features a turquoise porcelain dial with Roman numerals and a painted cherub at its center, framed by two ormolu cherubs and another reclining figure at the base. An urn and flame finial crown the case. A cherub figure supports each candelabrum, rising to five scrolling branches that hold candles.

The movement is stamped Japy Frères & Cie, Grande Médaille d’Honneur, a mark introduced after the firm’s award at the 1855 Exposition Universelle in Paris, underscoring its status as one of France’s foremost clockmakers.

Such sets were fashionable showpieces in late 19th-century Europe, blending utility with opulence. Their gilded surfaces and mythological figures evoked the decorative traditions of 18th-century France, revived for a Victorian audience eager for luxury and historical association. Imported examples reached elite Bombay households, where they not only decorated mantels but also marked status, taste, and participation in a broader cosmopolitan culture shaped by European design.

As Is, Non-exportable

Provenance: The Estate of Mangaldas Nathubhai