A CLOCK IN GILDED AND PATINATED BRONZE: A RIVER GOD, THE TIBRE.

Gilded and patinated bronze clock, finely chased, representing a seated river god, leaning on a vase from which the river flows. He wears a crown of reeds, an oar in his hand, revealing his body through an antique-style downward drape. The base, supported by four dolphin-like feet, is adorned with all the symbolism associated with the river God, in this case the Tiber, as well as Roman army attributes such as helmets and the inscription SPQR. This abbreviation of the motto "Senatus Populus Que Romanus" (meaning "The Senate and the Roman people") was the emblem of the Roman Republic, and later, by tradition, of the Roman Empire. More than any other symbol, these four letters represented Roman political power. Moreover, the representation of the she-wolf feeding Remus and Romulus, the founders of Rome, at the center of these symbols, reinforces the inextricable link between politics and religion under the Roman Empire. Roman numeral dial on guilloché background. Original wire mechanism in working order. Restoration period, Circa: 1820 Dim: W:35cm, D:15cm, H:50cm.