18.5 x 11 x 6.5 in.

This pendulum clock stands on a black marble base with gilt-bronze mounts. The circular dial with Roman numerals sits above the pendulum, its steady swing left visible as part of the design. 

By the mid-19th century, such pendulum clocks had become fixtures of bourgeois interiors across Europe. More than timekeepers, they were emblems of punctuality, order, and modern taste, their dark marble and neoclassical lines designed to suit the drawing room mantel. Where skeleton clocks of the era dramatized their inner works, marble-cased mantel clocks concealed their mechanisms behind architecture, blending technical precision with decorative restraint.

The movement bears the stamp of Samuel Marti et Cie, awarded a bronze medal at the Paris Exposition of 1860. Founded in Montbéliard, Marti was among the leading French clockmakers of the 19th century, alongside Japy Frères and Vincenti. Renowned for the precision of their movements, Marti clocks were widely exported and often paired with marble or ormolu cases. By the late 19th century they had become fixtures in European and colonial households, where such timepieces combined horology with the architectural gravitas of classical design.

with Visible Escapement, Movement Serial No. 517

As Is, Non-exportable

Provenance: The Estate of Mangaldas Nathubhai