• This is a quite superb and rare little gilt bronze ‘time-piece’ clock with ‘silk suspended’ pendulum. It would have been made by one of Paris’ finest clock makers at the peak of Napoleon’s First Empire. Unfortunately, over time the makers name has not survived on the restored porcelain face. • The gilded bronze figure is of Cupid ‘carrying time’ and its modelling, superb detailing (look at his chiselled wings which would have taken many hours to do) and original fire gilding suggests it was probably carried out by the firm of Pierre-Philippe Thomire. During the First Empire Period he was considered the most prominent ‘bronzier’ or producer of all types of ornamental gilt bronze objects.• On the inside of the rear clock case is an old Spanish Madrid dealer label. One could speculate that the clock could have arrived in Spain as part the Napoleonic entourage, associated with Napoleon’s brother Joseph becoming the Kind of Spain 1808-13 and stayed when the French were forced to ...