DESCRIPTION
A magnificent Louis XVI mantel clock of the celebrated 'Retour de l'Amour' (also known as 'L'Amour Offrant un Oiseau à l'Amitié') model, the movement signed 'Bertrand À Paris' on a white enamel dial with gilt brass hands, Arabic numerals in black, and a secondary minute track in pink. The domed case body and sculpted figural group — a reclining gilt-bronze female figure attended by a gilt-bronze putto presenting a dove — are supported by a matte white bisque porcelain or biscuit ground, all mounted upon a stepped white marble and ormolu plinth adorned with a continuous frieze of gilt bronze putti in relief. The enamel dial features two winding apertures flanking the center, a winding arbor at 12 o'clock, and the signature of Joseph-Charles-Paul Bertrand, one of the most distinguished Parisian clockmakers of the Louis XVI era (active 1746–1789). A closely comparable example of this exact model sold at Christie's for €8,750, confirming the clock's established place in the auction and collector market.
CONDITION REPORT
The mantel clock presents in very good antique condition commensurate with its circa 1775 age. The ormolu figural group retains strong original gilding with age-appropriate warmth and patina; the white bisque porcelain case body and the white marble plinth show minor surface wear consistent with approximately 250 years of careful ownership. Movement functionality should be verified by a qualified horologist prior to sale, and the winding key visible in the photographs conveys with the piece.
