Date: about 1720-25
Maker: cabinetwork attributed to André-Charles Boulle (1642–1732), Four continents probably designed by Alexandre-Jean Oppenordt (1639–1715) and Gilles-Marie Oppenord (1672–1742), movement by Louis Mynuël (1675–1742)
Materials: oak, ebony, turtleshell, brass, gilt bronze, enamel and glass
Measurements: 125 x 66 x 30.5 cm (clock) and 165.5 x 70.2 x 33 cm (pedestal)
Inv. no. F42
Ancient Greeks and Romans understood time in terms of everlasting cycles of the universe, and they made sense of this by personifying elements of it.
The tradition continued down the centuries to Boulle. He breathed life into the continents and cardinal directions on this clock through gilt-bronze figures representing Africa, Europe, Asia and America in stylised forms.
The models for these were likely designed by Alexandre-Jean Oppenordt, another cabinetmaker who worked in turtleshell marquetry, and his son, the draughtsman Gilles-Marie Oppenord (F43 and F52).
On the pedestal beneath, the mystical symbolism continues with a plaque depicting Atlas and Hercules grappling with the heavens, complete with the signs of the Zodiac.
It represents the Eleventh Labour of Hercules, during which he was given the task of stealing three golden apples from the garden of Hera, queen of the gods.
As these were tended by the daughters of Atlas, Hercules offered to carry the heavens while the titan retrieved the fruit on his behalf. On returning, Atlas almost tricked the hero into bearing his celestial burden for eternity, but was outfoxed by the canny hero.
Both the figures and the plaque are complemented by other sumptuous baroque mounts, including lion-claw feet, a cherub and a tassel, cast from actual textile, offset by rich turtleshell marquetry.
Some of the marquetry designs can be identified on other works by Boulle, like the scrolling ornament inside the clock case, which appears on the doors of a wardrobe (F429) in the museum. This bears testament to the cabinetmaker’s ingenuity and capacity for reinvention.
As one of the most ambitious clock designs Boulle devised, he also intended to satisfy scientific minds by means of an oval clock face, which required a sophisticated movement with hands that extended and contracted depending on their position.
However, the complexities of such a mechanism mean that only a small number of these clocks have this feature, including one in the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
Louis Mynuël, a royal clockmaker known for the fine quality of his work, fitted the Wallace example with a conventional circular face and simpler movement, yet the oval outer frame remains.
It is not known for whom the clock was originally made. However, by 1770 it was in the possession of Monsieur Perrinet-de-Faugnes, an official for the region of Franche-Comté, when he gave the clock to the town hall of Yverdon.
There it was placed in the council chamber and kept the pace of public affairs until 1866, when it was bought by a dealer for 10,000 francs.
A short while later, it was sold to the 4th Marquess of Hertford at the marked-up price of 45,000 francs, which is an indication of the popularity of Boulle furniture in the 19th century.