Gilt-bronze clock depicting Bacchus holding a thyrsus.
Work attributed to the bronzier Pierre-Philippe Thomire (1751–1843).
Movement signed Le Cœur l’Aîné, Paris.
Early 19th century.
Dimensions: width 42 cm; height 56 cm; depth 13 cm.
The publication La pendule française dans le monde (Tardy editions) suggests that the figure represented may be Apollo, the god of the arts, music, and beauty. This interpretation likely stems from the presence of a lyre, an instrument traditionally associated with Apollo. Moreover, Apollo, like Bacchus, is often depicted as a youthful and idealized figure, which may have contributed to the confusion.
However, a closer examination of our clock supports a different identification. Unlike the example illustrated in the publication, the present figure holds a thyrsus, a decisive attribute. Its absence in other versions may explain earlier misattributions. The thyrsus—a staff entwined with vine leaves and topped with a pine cone—is one of the principal symbols of Bacchus, the god of wine, nature, and ritual ecstasy.
Additional iconographic elements further reinforce this interpretation. The figure wears a vine wreath, while clusters of grapes and vegetal motifs appear beneath the dial and on either side of the central frieze. The presence of an ewer also recalls the cantharus, a deep vessel associated with wine consumption in ancient Greece.
The animal skin visible on the figure alludes to the Bacchic retinue, whose members—maenads and satyrs—were linked to ecstatic rites, often accompanied by music, dance, and wild attributes.
Finally, the central frieze depicts a characteristic scene: Bacchus holding his thyrsus, riding in a chariot drawn by felines, surrounded by maenads and accompanied by instruments such as cymbals and the syrinx. This traditional iconography appears in numerous works, notably Bacchus and Ariadne by Titien, held at the National Gallery, as well as The Triumph of Bacchus and Ariadne by Annibale Carracci at the Palais Farnèse.