Catherine the Great’s Porcelain Elephant Clock

This clock is believed to have been in the collection of Catherine the Great of Russia (1729–1796) at her rural residence outside of St. Petersburg, the “Chinese Palace.” The palace is considered one of the best examples of Russian rococo architecture. “Chinese” was a term used at the time to connote exotic or mysterious. It is quite possible that this clock was among the gifts King Louis XV of France gave to Empress Elizabeth of Russia in the mid-18th century.

The massive scale of this model and its lack of riders, carriage or howdah (blanket) are extremely rare. Only one other version of this plain model of a similar size is known to exist, mounted or unmounted, and has an identical pierced asymmetrical base and Chinese turquoise porcelain drum, dial signed 'Jacques Panier A Paris'. The present example strongly resembles another elephant modeled by Peter Reinecke, a gifted porcelain modeler who worked at the Meissen porcelain manufactory under Johann Joachim Kändler (1706–1775). Figures of elephants with their trunks raised were inspired by 17th century Japanese porcelain figures. The present example is signed by Jean-Andre Furet, a renowned French clockmaker who worked for Augustus II of Saxony and his court. The drum of this clock is Chinese turquoise dating to the Qianlong period (1736–1795). The ormolu base is identical to another signed by Jean-Joseph de Saint-Germain.