Étienne Le Noir was the patriarch of a dynasty of French clockmakers who specialized in movements for clocks with lavishly decorated cases for royal and aristocratic patrons. This clock is unique in having its case made of porcelain rather than more typical gilded bronze, and there are only two other surviving examples of wall clocks with Chantilly porcelain cases. The figures imitate Japanese porcelain, as was quite usual at the Chantilly porcelain factory.