Antique French Sienna marble and ormolu clock with patinated bronze Grand Tour sculpture of the Arrotino (the "Blade-Sharpener"). From the late Charles X period the clock is constructed of Sienna marble of good colour and veining. It has ormolu block feet and mouldings of Acanthus leaf and forget-me-not above the base. Applied ormolu mounts of Anthemion to each side of the dial bezel. A further ormolu moulding below the pediment. The crouching figure of the Arrotino is extremely well cast and is in perfect condition with superb patination to the bronze. The detail to the sculpture and indeed to the cast is excellent. The silvered bronze dial with Roman numerals and blued steel moon hands is signed above the 6 "Pons a Paris". The dial is surrounded by an ormolu ring decorated with egg and dart design. There is a glass covered milled bezel to the dial and a glass covered bezel to the back of the clock. The movement is of good size and is of 8 day duration striking the hours and halves on a bell by means of a countwheel and regulated by a silk suspended pendulum. The movement is signed by Pons and has the 1827 Gold medal stamp to the backplate. Pons were awarded a further Gold medal in 1834 so this clock can be firmly dated to between 1827 and 1834. 20 inches high by 10.5 inches wide by 6 inches deep ( 50 cm by 26.25 cm by 15 cm). The 1st century sculpture was unearthed in the early 16th century was bought by the Medici's and is now in Florence. It was known as the Scythian. It is thought to be a figure from a group representing the Flaying of Marsyas and is a Hellenistic-Roman sculpture (Pergamene school) of a man crouching to sharpen a knife on a whetstone. Now known to be a copy of an earlier Hellenistic sculpture.