310,500 HKD
EratoJaquet Droz et Leschot à Paris, No. 141, circa 1788, made for the Spanish market.Extremely rare and very fine 18K gold and painted on enamel pair-cased pearl-set pocket watch with date. Outer: protective, brass, glazed, inner: two-body, "Dire-ctoire", the back panel very finely painted on enamel with Erato, the muse of love poetry, holding a lyre, graduated pearl frame, borders with gold flowers on azure enamel ground within a graduated pearl border, above strips of alternating flinqué gold and blue enamel, white enamel edge, bezel with gold and silver paillons on blue, white and black enamel. White enamel, Roman numerals, outer minute divisions with fifteen-minute Arabic markers, inner 31-day date scale. Gold "crescent" hands. Notes This is only the second known Jaquet Droz et Leschot watch signed "Paris". For the other, see Antiquorum April 13, 1997, lot 460. We know that the firm sold few watches for the French market. The signature may be due to an attempt to take advantage of the prestige that the name of the French capital held on the Hispanic market."But when Erato brushed her flowery lute,What strains of sweetness whispered in the wind!Soft as at evening when the shepherd's fluteTo tones of melting love alone resigned,Breathes through the windings of the silent vale;Complaining accents tremble on the gale,Or notes of ecstacy serenely roll.So when the smiling muse of Cupid sung,Her melody sighed out the sorrowing soul,Or o'er her silken chords sweet
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2002-06-08
