Victor Barbizet, Clock with putti and rustic figulines, Circa 1860, polychrome glazed earthenware, Paris, France

Despite the absence of a visible mark or signature, this rare clock with its rustic decor of fauna and flora, adorned with two putti, can undoubtedly be attributed to Victor Barbizet, who worked in the spirit of Bernard Palissy and revived “rustic figulines” or naturalist-inspired ceramics. A specialist in rustic ceramics, he followed in the footsteps of Bernard Palissy and became one of the leading figures of the 19th-century Paris School, along with Georges Pull, Thomas Victor Sergent and François Maurice. It was he who first introduced the taste for rustic figulines to Paris. He practiced molding and used tin-based enamels, enabling a refined search for color. Barbizet’s work is divided between French Renaissance themes, dear to Palissy, and naturalistic subjects, as seen in this shaped piece.