Mantel Clock (Primary Title)
Rhinoceros Clock
(Former Title)
Jean-Baptiste Baillon, French, died ca. 1770 (Artist)
This mantel clock exemplifies the exuberant Rococo style of the mid-18th century that delighted in the apparent novelty and exoticism of Asian cultures as they were perceived in the popular European imagination.
Ménagerie clocks featuring models of unfamiliar beasts from Africa and Asia became highly fashionable collectibles in the 1740s. Though the rhinoceros was known in Europe as early as the 16th century, it was not until a live Indian rhinoceros named Clara was brought to the Netherlands in 1741 that the animal became a widely recognized marvel. Clara was exhibited throughout Europe for nineteen years, delighting average citizens and courtiers alike. In 1749, she arrived in Paris, where she inspired drawings by many artists and studies by scientists. The model for this clock was likely based on one of these renderings.
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