A fine early 19th century French Empire ormolu and Verde antico figural mantel clock representing The Pursuit of KnowledgeLepaute, Hgr. de l'Empereur a Paris. The case attributable to Pierre-Victo Ledure. the signed 5 inch white enamel Roman and Arabic dial with minute track enclosing the blued steel open moon hands, framed by a ribbon-cast bezel within a pedestal mounted with a cockerel and twin torches flanked by a standing figure representing Study, her left elbow resting on book, her right with a manuscript, all raised on a low plinth set with a well-cast ormolu panel depicting six cherubs studying Geometry, Astronomy and the Arts, on bun feet, the high quality twin-train movement with pinned plates signed and numbered le Paute a Paris, 180/10, 41, with outside countwheel striking on a bell, the pendulum with micrometer beat adjustment height 72cm; width 42cm; depth 18.5cm注脚The interior of the case is cast with the Latin inscription "HVIVS AMOR PIOHORADILEN EDVCAVIT VTIAM PAREMHO MERIUSQ IRCO-CVMVIRAM". Other examples can be seen in the Museo de Relojes in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain; the Royal Pavilion, Brighton; the Palais Viana, Madrid; Schlösserveraltung, Munich, and the British Embassy in Paris. Near identical clocks are illustrated in:Tardy, "Les Plus Belles Pendules Françaises", 1994, p. 252. Hans Ottomeyer and Peter Pröschel, "Vergoldete Bronzen", 1986, p. 349, pl. 5.6.8. Elke Niehüser, "Die Französische Bronzeuhr", 1997, p. 233, pl. 715. Pierre-Victor Ledure (1783-c.1840) trained under the renowned André-Antoine Ravrio (1759-1814) and rose to become one of the leading bronziers in the world. In 1813 he received a commission from the Archduke of Tuscany the Duke of Franken, for metal furnishings at his residence in Würzburg. The order included a clock with a case to personify Study leaning on a podium, at a cost of about 800 francs. The Lepaute dynasty of clockmakers was founded circa 1740 and their clients included Louis XV, Louis XVI, Madame du Barry and both King Charles III and Charles IV of Spain. Later in the century, Pierre-Basile Lepaute (1750-1843) together with his son Pierre-Michel Lepaute (1785-1849) was appointed clockmaker to both the Emperor Napoleon and Louis XVIII upon the restoration of the Bourbon dynasty. Provenance: Aldo Aurilli circa 2010.