Style Japonism, Chinoiserie / Ref.15630

After Escalier de Cristal, "Gong" style mantel clock in gilt bronze and enamel, featuring elephants and dragons.

This clock, shaped like a Japanese temple and featuring a portico that holds a suspended dial, appears in Henry Pannier’s records under the name "Pendule Tam-Tam" (Tam-Tam Clock). The piece is particularly notable for its exceptional size, as it is a large-scale model.

The structure is crafted entirely from gilt bronze. The clock rests on an H-shaped base, decorated on the sides with interlacing patterns and accented by polychrome enamel plaques featuring Asian-inspired motifs, including a stylized bat.

Supporting the portico, two gilt-bronze elephants carry enameled saddle blankets with floral designs on their backs. They uphold two tall columns featuring a light-colored geometric background, against which stand out asymmetrical enameled medallions depicting various Oriental motifs (birds, fish, branches, and vases).

These columns are topped by a gilt-bronze pediment, openworked with interlacing patterns and Japanese-inspired motifs. Beneath the pediment, a framework suspends the central dial. The dial is flanked by two gilt-bronze handles shaped like dragons with undulating, scaled bodies and open mouths.

The dial consists of polychrome enamel on a light blue background, punctuated by Japanese characters indicating the hours. The front face displays a composition of cartouches: a pair of birds perched on a cherry blossom branch, a dragonfly hovering over water lilies, and a peony in bloom against a midnight-blue background.

The decoration extends to the back: the reverse side of the dial and columns reveals a continuous geometric pattern of light-colored crisscrossing lines, highlighted by floral accents along the edges. It is a large-scale piece that perfectly exemplifies the *Japonisme* movement of the late 19th century.