JOH. ELLFORTH
| About the artist | approx. 1788-1826 |
| Designed by | Vienna, around 1815 |
| Executed by | Vienna, around 1815 |
| Marked | Signed on dial: "Joh. Ellforth in Wien", signed on bust: “Duc de Reichstadt bei J. Glanz Wien” |
| Dimensions | H 45.5 cm, W 28 cm, D 16 cm |
| Material | Very fine chiselled bronze, original fire gold plating, little losses, fine guilloche dial, enamel ring with several capillary cracks, calendar aperture, date index, Viennese 4/4 strike on 2 mounted spring steel gongs, lever escapement, thread suspended pendulum, strike repetition, strike stop,1 day movement, movement has been overhauled by an expert clockmaker, first class original condition Excellent work of a Viennese master clockmaker Later added bust by Josef Glanz |
| Provenance | private property Austria |
| Literature | J. Abeler, Meister der Uhrmacherkunst, vol. 2, Wuppertal 2010, p. 134 |
Since ancient times, dolphins have been a symbol of rescue and security as well as love. The pendulum with the 4-leaf clover symbol stands for luck, the laurel branches and oak leaves symbolize fame and immortality.
Napoleon Franz Joseph Karl Bonaparte (1811-1832), Duke of Reichstadt, was the only legitimate male descendant of Napoleon's marriage to Marie-Louise of Austria. After the fall of his father, he was brought to the imperial court in Schönbrunn at the age of 5. Many legends were formed around his short life in Vienna. In 1832 he died of tuberculosis at the age of only 21.
US17/25
