Art Deco “Pendule de Nuit” Lighted Clock by Cartier, Paris, circa 1935
Art Deco “Pendule de Nuit” Lighted Clock by Cartier, Paris, circa 1935
A clock of arched form in gold plated polished brass, with black and coral enamel accents, the feet in ebony, with Roman Numeral chapter ring in black outlined in red, the glass frosted in the center, plugs in to turn on the interior light, in a fitted case
- Signed Cartier on the face, stamped France and EWC for European Watch and Clock Co
- Measurements: 9¾ x 10 × 4 inches
Biography
Cartier was founded in Paris in 1847 by Louis-François Cartier. His three grandsons, Louis, Pierre, and Jacques, built the house into a famous international jewelry empire serving royalty, Hollywood stars, and socialites. Cartier has created some of the most important jewelry and objects of art of the twentieth century with many iconic designs such as mystery clocks, Tutti Frutti jewelry and the Panthère line. In 1983, The Cartier Collection was established with the objective of acquiring important pieces that trace the firm’s artistic evolution. Today, Cartier has 200 stores in 125 countries.
Significance
The history of timekeeping began when ancient civilizations first started tracking the movement of celestial bodies across the sky. In the millennia since humans first turned their gaze skyward, timekeeping has evolved as technology advanced. From sundials and water clocks to pendulums and electrical devices the modern clock has transformed in fantastic ways and with each new evolution designers embellished these essential devices in myriad exceptional ways.
In the 1900s, Cartier began to introduce extraordinary clocks that were beautiful and seemingly magical, pushing the limits of technology. From clocks that imitated celestial bodies, to water clocks and mystery clocks, there seemed to be no end to the ingenuity of the firm’s designers. Clocks were so important to the company, that in the 1920s Cartier partnered with Edmund Jaeger, of the Jaeger-LeCoultre company, to found the European Watch and Clock Co, to innovative watch movement manufacturing. Although Cartier continued to work with other movement manufacturers, their most groundbreaking clocks, such as this one, feature EWC movements, created within the Jaeger-LeCoultre factory in Le Sentier, Switzerland.
This arched clock takes a traditional form of a mantel clock with an architectural form and detailed feet. The exceptional red and black decoration are a marker of the Art Deco period and bring a motif of layered geometry to the piece. This Pendule de Nuit (Night Clock) features an unusual secret, an electrical cord that lights the face of the clock, allowing it to be read at night. When this clock was created most homes had electricity, but it was still new, and companies were experimenting with incorporating the technology into their products in various ways. This exceptional clock shows the importance of innovation and experimentation in creating important works of art.
