Style Orientalism / Ref.15732

Persian-style double-sided clock and garnitures, Charles Stanislas MATIFAT, dated 1851

Charles Stanislas Matifat is the creator of this ensemble consisting of a double-sided enameled bronze clock and a matching pair of large garnitures. Dated 1851 and bearing his signature, the clock was designed for both European tastes and the Ottoman-Persian market.
This model was presented in the French section of the 1851 Great Exhibition in London. The MATIFAT display was located at the heart of the Crystal Palace, showcasing Parisian decorative arts of the mid-19th century.
The clock features two white enamel dials: one with Roman numerals for European time (Paris or London), and the other on the reverse with Turkish numerals. This dual display made the piece suitable for different cultural time systems. Around this time, MATIFAT developed a vitreous enamel process on bronze, enabling highly refined decoration.
The gilded bronze case is richly adorned with polychrome enamel motifs inspired by Persian decorative arts: scrollwork, stylized foliage, rosettes, and interlacing patterns. The openwork base includes enameled escutcheons. The two side garnitures echo the same cloisonné enamel decoration, in tones of green, blue, white, and gold. Their complex architectural shapes and scroll-like handles reflect the orientalist aesthetic popular in the decorative arts of the period.

Recognized as one of the most important Parisian art founders of his time, MATIFAT also created decorative objects such as chandeliers, fountains, and vases. He collaborated with major sculptors like Carpeaux and Frémiet, and his work was appreciated by Charles Garnier.