Ref. 718

Cardeilhac

Goldsmiths
(19th Century)

The “Chickadees” Clock

Signed: Cardeilhac, Paris Orfèvre  Bonvallet, Dess. – Aiguier, Sc. – Viat, Cis.

France
Circa 1900

Silver, Vermeil, Amber, Ivory

Height : 42 cm (16,5 in.) ; Width : 20 cm (7,8 in.) ; Depth : 11,5 cm (4,5 in.)

A rare “Chickadees” clock made in silver and ivory decorated with amber beads. Representing a lyre ornamented by seven gilded silver chickadees, boughs of holly with berries of amber and a ribbon tied around the lyre. The ivory base stands on a silver mounted ivory socle with a waterlily motif decor framing the dial surrounded with holly leaves.

Executed after a model made by Lucien Bonvallet, who exhibited at the 1900 Paris Universal Exposition.

Biography

Antoine-Vital Cardeilhac founded in 1804 a company specialized in cutlery and flatware. Throughout the nineteenth century, the company had passed from father to son, with Armand-Edouard and Ernest then, and continued to successfully produce pieces highly inspired for most of them from ironwork models, richly ornamented with fine motifs​​. These works of varied forms and styles were all considered remarkable for their chiseling. The Cardeilhac firm was then inevitably noticed in national and international exhibitions for the high quality of products available to the public and received numerous awards, such as the bronze medal in 1823, silver medals in 1827 and 1834 as well as at the famous 1867 Paris Universal Exhibition. They were finally awarded a gold medal at the Universal Exhibition of 1878, giving the Cardeilhac company an unprecedented boom. After more than a century of proven success in the great universal exhibitions, the famous silversmith Christofle took over Cardeilhac business in 1951.

Lucien Bonvallet (1861-1919) was a designer. He exposed his works on Cardeilhac’s stand at the 1900 Paris Universal Exhibition, and at the Autumn Salon of 1919.

Museology

Many pieces made by Lucien Bonvallet et Cardeilhac are now displayed in the Orsay museum, in the Paris Decorative Arts museum, as well as in the Bouilhet-Christofle museum.