We receive a lot of questions, hopefully someone can help this nice lady from Australia...


Dear Sir or Madam,

My name is Isabel ------- and I live in Australia.

I desperatly need your help. I would like to know about a 19th Century French Chimney Clock from ca. 1836 with a figure on top that it is thought to be Marie Taglioni.

Do you know anything about this fantastic clock or if you could tell me were I can find some information.

Much appreciate your time and help!

Kind regards,

Isabel

Lindell,
There are a couple of chimney clocks at this site. Not much info though. I will keep looking.
Joe

http://clock.angarsk.ru/cgi-bin/clinclud.pl?english/col/fr2&clfr_e#

French clocks are not my strong suite, but I will see what I can find out. Pictures would help.

After looking at the pictures on the Russian site, I gather that "French chimney clocks" is another term for French mantel clocks. If that is the case, there are thousands and thousands of them out there, with cases and decoration varying from plated/painted pot metal, to stone, brass, and bronze, and other materials. I rember that in the mid-1960's that Clement's Antiques in Chattanooga had them by the truck load. The ordinary black stone or white agate models were around $15.00 each.

The Name CHIMNEY is not generally used to describe this type of clock in England. They are very common and readily available. The movements are very well made and usually have round plates. I have one in my small collection, I paid around $4 in auction for it in the late 60s. They are in my opinion greatly underated ,but theres just too many of them around. FRENCH MANTEL is what they are called here.
I had a most elaborate and ornate French Clock on a wooden base with Porcelain Panels and Gilt metal decoration it also had two matching decorative vases all 3 items were under Square Glass Domes,I think I paid around £1500 for the set, this was in the early 1990s ,I doubled my investment 5 years later when I had the IRS after me. I'll try and find 'Photo of Set. Regards, Ged.