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Clock "The Giaour in love"

Applied Arts
Inventory number
2020.10.21.2.AA.DC.C1825.FR
Attribution:
Horloger Clément (French, 18th - 19th century)
Description
Bronze clock, called a mantel clock, composed of a rectangular base adorned with palm leaves and a neo-Gothic motif. The top of the clock is ornamented with a man dressed in a Turkish style leaning on a rock and offering a rose. The clock face is embellished with guilloché.

Orientalism was born out of the Occident's fascination by the Ottoman Empire and following during the 1820s with the slow disintegration following the Greek War of Independence. This exotic trend is associated with all artistic mouvement of the 19th century and is present in all fields from architecture to music, including painting, literature or poetry. Lord Byron's poem "The Giaour", published in 1813, will have an huge impact on the picturesque aesthetic of this movement. The main characters, Hassan, the Turkish Mamluk, in love with a Circassian slave Leila, herself in love with "Giaour" (a term of contempt applied by the Turks to infidels), will be taken up by the clockmakers of this period. Giaour and Leila can be represented independently as a couple or alone on the clocks. However the Orientalist taste, seeking various sources of inspiration, will also find in the character of Nikítas STAMATELOPOULOS, a hero of the Greek War of Independence, a striking character. Confusing styles, civilizations and eras, Orientalism has created many clichés. However, when the character of Nikítas STAMATELOPOULOS or Hassan are represented alone, their clothing or their warrior attitudes can be confused. It is much easier to recognize the character of the Giaour alone. For the warrior or the cuckold, the saber is brandished while for the Giaour, it is a simple decorative element. Another funny element, the three characters wear the mustache, that of the Giaour always points upwards, while that of the warriors points downwards.
Materials
Bronze
Steel
Origin
circa 1825 Paris, France
Dimensions
Width : 10 cm
Length : 28 cm
Height : 40 cm