Mantel clock (pendule à console) ca. 1750 Clockmaker: probably Jean-Philippe Gosselin Ornamental bronzeswhich are easily cast from molds and made to simulate solid gold or, occasionally, solid silver by the application of thin layers of precious metalswere ubiquitous in the décor and furnishings of an eighteenth-century French palace, townhouse, or chteau. This clock, signed by one of the most admired bronze founder-chasers, Jean-Joseph de Saint Germain, has lost all of its original gilding but preserves the undulating scrolls interspersed with floral motifs that are characteristic of French rococo design at its liveliest.[Clare Vincent, 2007. Mantel clock (pendule à console) 198012