Antique French Empire ormolu mantel clock of the Arcadian Genre. Both Marie-Antoinette, the unfortunate consort of Louis XVIth and the Empress Josephine consort to Napoleon Bonaparte liked to play at farming and expressed a love for an Arcadian existence. As a consequence several fine clock cases were constructed at the beginning of the 19th century that are collectively known as the Arcadian genre of mantel clocks. This ormolu case is in the form of a stable with a sloping thatched roof fitted with a dove cot and flanked with a standing shepherdess to one side and with a child and pig sty to the other. Two pigs can be seen feeding. The whole standing on a rectangular canted base applied with cast mounts of farmyard animals. The ormolu is in outstanding original condition with little or no rubbing. The movement is of 8 day duration, regulated by a silk suspended pendulum and striking the hours and halves on a fine cast bell. The white enamel dial with blued steel Breguet style moon hands. France circa 1807. 17 inches high by 16 inches wide by 6 inches deep ( 42.5 cm by 40 cm by 15 cm).