Barometers Realm

This Grotesque Green Man Aneroid Barometer, dating to around 1875, was crafted by the French company Radiguet & Fils and is housed in a monumental carved oak case. The top of the case is crowned by a massive sculpted head representing the classic Green Man motif — specifically, the Disgorging Head type, in which foliage appears to grow or emerge from the character’s mouth. This mythical figure seems to breathe greenery, symbolizing the cyclical forces of nature. The deep-set wrinkles and furrows on the face emphasize age, wisdom, and a primordial connection to the natural world. The stern or melancholic gaze gives the impression that this is not merely decorative but a kind of spirit or silent sentinel — perhaps even a warning presence. Here, the Green Man is not an ornamental flourish but an animating force, literally exhaling leaves and becoming one with the tree itself. It is, in essence, an allegory — a forest spirit giving life to the instrument and imbuing the act of reading temperature and pressure with a near-magical significance.

Flanking the thermometer are carved decorative elements: leafy branches with richly detailed rosebuds, stylized blossoms, and a spherical fruit. The composition is symmetrical and reinforces the vertical axis of the thermometer. The alcohol thermometer, graduated in centigrade degrees, is mounted on an enameled copper plate and framed by a border of stylized twigs. The scale plate appears to be a later replacement, as it does not fit the original frame precisely.

Beneath the thermometer, the case expands into a shield-like panel, stylistically echoing motifs of baroque architecture. At the center are two volutes reminiscent of an Ionic capital, flanking the lower part of the structure. A central protrusion suggests an entablature or stylized stem, while surrounding foliage resembles acanthus leaves — classical elements commonly found in capitals or cartouches. On either side, deep, spiraling scrolls (volutes) are boldly carved to emphasize volume and relief. These scrolls create a visual transition from the vertical thermometer panel to the broader barometer section, framing it with architectural balance.

Below the barometer body is a carved element resembling draped fabric — possibly a stylized garland or folded ribbon. Branches emerge from the edges of this drapery to frame the barometer itself. Just below hangs a double floral rosette with two blossoms, likely stylized peony-type roses with simplified petals.

The barometer is housed in a cylindrical brass case mounted within the wooden frame. The flat mineral-glass bezel, secured by three screws, is an integral part of the instrument. However, the unusually thick brass ring encircling the bezel is a separate structural element. It serves to hold the barometer in place: from the reverse side, the movement is fixed with two screws passing through a zinc plate and directly into the wooden back panel — an uncommon method of mounting.

The functional portion — a miniature barometer, deeply recessed into its circular niche and framed by a heavy brass surround — is almost visually overpowered by the massive, theatrically carved case. This disproportion is not a flaw but rather an intentional shift of emphasis, where the case becomes the primary subject and the instrument merely the excuse. This is not a scientific tool in a decorative housing, but a sculptural object into which the meteorological mechanism is embedded. The Green Man’s mask, the curling volutes, the suspended drapery, and the cascading garlands transform the utilitarian barometer into a character in its own right, animating the wall it occupies. It is a rare inversion: the barometer is set into the decoration — not the other way around.

The open 9 cm barometer dial is made of thick cardstock, calibrated in millimeters of mercury, with standard meteorological terms printed in French. The movement is unusual and completely identical to the construction found in Victor Reclus instruments: it features an aneroid capsule with an inner tension spring and a lever-arm mechanism acting on a secondary linkage, from which a chain connects to the indicator shaft. It is likely that Radiguet & Fils collaborated with the Victor Reclus workshop or acted as retailers.

This barometer stands as a striking example of how atmospheric instruments could transcend function and become sculptural statements in their own right.