A very rare French Empire ormolu mantel clock of an Astronomy Lesson. I have never seen this model before and it is larger than the other models by Jean Andre Reich. The clock has its original fire/mercury gilt ormolu or bronze doree. The clocks rectangular base sits upon four quite elaborate bun feet. To the front of the base is an applied ormolu mount which features tools of astronomy, a globe, dividers, a ruler, books, scrolls and quills. On the base a woman sits at an elaborate Empire chair working at a text by the light of an oil lamp. Opposite her on the other side of the base is a astronomical globe with stars upon it. The woman is wearing quite elaborate clothes and a mop hat. The movement and dial is housed in the table the woman is working on and is covered by a tasselled cloth. The dial is of white convex enamel and has black Roman hour numerals and blued steel Breguet moon hands. The dial is signed Lafollie a Paris. The dial is protected by a glazed ormolu bezel. The movement is of 8 day duration and strikes the hours and halves on a cast bell. The timing is regulated by a silk suspended pendulum. Tardy mentions Lafollie as working in Paris at the Rue Ste-Foy in 1807, Rue de Tracy in 1812. France circa 1810. 15.5 inches high by 16.75 inches wide by 5.5 inches deep.