Made of guilt bronze and marble by Pierre - Philippe Thomire, French, circa 1800 to 1830. The clock decoration is almost a literal translation of the passage in the Metamorphoses in which Ovid recounts Phaethons unfortunate adventure. To discourage the young man from his mad plan to drive the chariot of the sun, Zeus/Jupiter had explained to him that he would meet only the wild beasts of the zodiac. Thomire created many versions of the Phaethon Clock. The most famous example was bought by George IV in 1810 and used in the State Dining Room at Buckingham Palace. This artist reached the pinnacle of his career when he designed and cast the bronze coffin of Napoleon Bonaparte. Information on the display at the Lightner Museum, St. Augustine, Florida. It will zoom. I had changed my avatar on my 5th anniversary of posting her on RR. It was a caricature of me and I did not like the results. While enhancing the color and details, I deleted the original file by mistake. So you are looking at this replacement until I can photograph the original which is 1524 miles north of here. Thanks for stopping by, taking a look and for all your previous favorites and comments. They are very much appreciated. Dana