Clock
Maker
Jacob Petit
(French, 1796 - 1868)
Date1830
MediumPorcelain
DimensionsOverall: 13 3/4in. (34.9cm)
ClassificationsT&E FOR TIMEKEEPING
Credit LineMuseum Purchase
Terms
Object number60.287.1
DescriptionWhite and gold with applied flowersOn View
On viewCollections
Copyright<a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="https://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc/4.0/80x15.png" /></a><br />This work is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License</a>.
Label TextAlthough Europe's mania for porcelain had cooled by the nineteenth century, owning porcelain still conveyed prestige. Garniture sets (a grouping of matching items that were used to ornament a mantle) such as this brightened formal rooms. Here, the clock is incidental to the exhibition of porcelain artwork. In American homes, decorating in the rococo revival style, characterized by liberal use of c-scrolls and riotous three-dimensional floral decoration, expressed an affinity with French aristocratic traditions.
Jacob Petit began his career decorating porcelain in the Sèvres porcelain factory in France, one of the most prestigious porcelain manufacturers in all of Europe. In 1830, Petit purchased his own porcelain factory in Fontainebleau, France, where he produced purely ornamental pieces such as clocks, statuettes, and vases. In 1864 he moved his business to Paris where he continued to produce fine porcelain wares that were also exported to the United States.
