French Art Déco Desk Clock in Lacquered Metal and Brass with Geometric Wire Wings
A striking Art Déco desk clock in black lacquered metal and brass: the circular sky-blue dial is set within a square black panel tilted at 45°, flanked on each side by an openwork triangular brass wire structure with a ball finial — creating a bold three-part geometric composition. French, circa 1950. 39.5 cm wide × 17.5 cm deep × 16 cm tall.
PRODUCT DETAILS
| Dimensions en CM | 39.5 x 17.5 x 16 cm |
|---|---|
| Dimensions en INCH | 15.55 x 6.89 x 6.30 inch |
| Période | 1940–1950 |
| Style | Mid-Century Modern |
| Matériaux | Brass |
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
This remarkable desk clock is a small masterpiece of Art Déco geometric design. Its central element — a circular clock face in pale sky blue with a brass chapter ring and slender black hands — is housed within a square panel of black lacquered metal, the panel tilted precisely at forty-five degrees so that it reads as a diamond rather than a square. The blue of the dial against the black of the lacquer creates an effect of startling luminosity, as though a window onto a clear sky had been opened within the darkness of the body. On either side of this central element, two openwork structures in brass wire rise from a horizontal base: each is a triangular composition of fine tensioned rods converging at a polished brass sphere at the apex, the whole recalling both the skeletal geometries of Constructivist sculpture and the precision engineering of Art Déco industrial design.
The three-part composition — wing, clock, wing — achieves a horizontal rhythm and a sense of flight or extension that is entirely intentional. The triangular wire structures do not merely support the clock; they frame it architecturally, like the pylons of a bridge or the rigging of a ship, making the entire object feel both grounded and dynamic. The contrast between the opacity of the black lacquered panel and the transparency of the wire structures is carefully calculated: the lacquer absorbs light while the fine brass rods catch and fragment it. The blue glass or enamel dial, set between these two registers, provides the compositional centre of gravity.
At 39.5 cm wide, 17.5 cm deep, and 16 cm tall, the clock has the presence of a sculptural object as much as a timepiece. Its generous width and low profile make it ideal for a mantelpiece, a library shelf, or a writing desk where its geometry will be appreciated at close range. The quality of the lacquerwork — still deep and even after seven decades — and the precision of the brass wire construction testify to a level of craft investment that places this piece well above the purely commercial productions of the period.
An exceptionally original and well-preserved example of French decorative clockmaking in the Art Déco manner, this clock would hold its own in the company of significant mid-century decorative arts. Its combination of rigorous geometry, material contrast, and the quiet animation provided by the clock movement makes it a living presence in any interior.
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