Hello Brett,
Thank you for sending in this painted ceramic mantel clock to mearto.com for an appraisal. I shall try to help you with that today.
TITLE:
Polychrome painted porcelain, architecturally shaped, eight-day time and striking mantel clock, made in Nove, Italy by Carpie' Porcellane D'Arte, circa mid-20th century.
DESCRIPTION:
CASE: 22" H x 13" W hand-painted Italian pottery/porcelain mantel clock with a colorful ceramic case topped by a Dore bronze painted pair of turtle-doves nested over a maroon colored urn with gilt edging. The urn stands on gilt foliate feet above the arched Maroon colored pediment which outlines a white arch which sits just above the case façade with its centered glazed dial bezel. The gilt bezel has four small but colorful floral spandrels on the façade located at the 1, 11, 7 & 5 positions relative to the dial. The façade has a concentric border of gilt bamboo ornamentation and further to the sides, broad maroon painted concave case corners. Below the façade there is a horizontal border of gilt egg and dart decoration above the concave horizontal moulding with painted flowers and foliage. Just below is the broad heavily ornamented base with the façade filled with a maroon panel enclosed within a golden bamboo border. The corners of the base follow those of the case with hollowed out corners of maroon, white and gold, all placed above the gilt egg and dart base resting on golden curled acanthus leaf feet with a foliate apron between them. The base continues fully around the sides and the back of the case. The back of the case is marked for Carpie’ with the logo of a pointed cap surrounded by the letters ‘C. P.N.’ for Carpie’ Porcelaine D’Arte Nove (in the province of Vincenza).
A round door at the back provides access to the movement compartment which is not shown.
DIAL: Hand painted white porcelain dial with enameled Roman hours, closed minute track in the scalloped style of the early Dutch 18th century clock dials with Arabic markers placed every five minutes around the periphery. painted floral wreath in the dial center with steel European Chippendale-style hands. The dial is unsigned and has two winding apertures.
MOVEMENT: Not shown but is the Franz Hermle model 130/080 - a round solid stippled brass plate movement made in Germany or West Germany by Hermle. The movement has two-barrel springs powering the clock for a duration of eight days, striking on two bells atop the movement on the hour and half hours. Striking is by means of a rack and snail on the back plate. There is no pendulum since this is a balance wheel lever type movement, very much like a watch rather than a clock. The rear plate of the movement should be signed by Hermle.
Condition:
Case – Excellent
Dial – Excellent
Movement- Not seen but assumed genuine and original and functional.
COMMENTARY:
Falling into the category of Nove-ware, such porcelain was originally fashioned in the Rococo style common in the 18th century, with an emphasis on light, decorative works that conformed to a sense of stylistic elegance, as opposed to the ebullient style of the baroque. In other words, I look at this clock case and I see it as a direct descendant of the potters in 18th century Nove, this town becoming the best-known Italian pottery producing center at that time. I also see a direct connection between the Capodimonte (near Naples) of earlier centuries and this style of ceramic case. There was a regrowth of the pottery industry post WW II throughout Italy but the Carpie' Porcellane D'Arte workshop was located in Nove, Province of Vincenzo (neighboring Venice). They used both porcelain and ceramic hand painted art. One does not see table clocks in this form very often when compared to much more common dining room table pieces or figurines.
COMPARABLE:
~https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/75071169_french-carpie-hand-painted-porcelain-mantel-clock (sold in 2019 for $275. Here the colorful flowers are in bas relief.)
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/78058610_earlyrare-carpie-pietro-capodimonte-porcelain-figure (sold in 2019 for $55, note the painted logo)
PRICING:
I believe that in today's marketplace this vintage example would have a fair market value at auction in the $225-$275 range. Retail prices, of course would be higher. I hope all of this helps you to learn more about your fine clock. I know I learned a lot just from researching this piece. Very enjoyable to do and I hope the clock continues to give you pleasure.
Than you again for choosing mearto.com for this appraisal.
My best,
David