Page 189 - Sotheby's October 3 2017 Chinese Art

This magnificent automaton clock typifies the
intriguing and inventive objects produced in
Europe for the Eastern markets in the second
half of the eighteenth century after about 1760.
The Qianlong Emperor was an avid collector of
timepieces and automatons and his enthusiasm
for both European and Chinese-made clocks saw
him assemble thousands of varying mesmerising
and novel designs, which came to be known as
‘sing-songs’ since they were primarily valued as
toys rather than fine timepieces.
While many of the clocks were badly damaged
or destroyed during several turbulent periods in
the history of China, the great variety of media
employed for the manufacturing of clocks is
well illustrated in the Palace Museum, Beijing,
publication, The 200 Objects You Should Know.
Timepieces, Beijing, 2007, including one of
related architectural form surmounting a base
comprised of drawers, pl. 93. It is interesting
to note that the hawk and bear on the current
clock, which form the rebus yingxiong (‘hero’)
is clearly a Chinese addition, while the Palace
piece has been ornamented in a Chinese style
through the addition of the pineapples and the
decorative seconds hand often found on Chinese
clocks. The similarity of the two pieces, including Palace”. He further remarks that during the reign Various Clocks, Watches, Automata, and
the distinctly Swiss movements of the clock and
enamelled columns, suggests they were created
in the same workshop, inspired by a popular
French model of the late Louis XVI period. They
also include English design elements, such as
the hands, and as Swiss retailers and craftsmen
are known to have presided in the city it is
not surprising to see both Swiss and English
influences on a luxury item.
Clocks and novelty items had been popular in 這座西洋機械音樂鐘富麗堂皇，賞心悅目，功
the Far East from a very early period so the 能卻又複雜奇巧，誠十八世紀中期後歐洲為
influx of such items was not a newly acquired 中國市場所製之座鐘精品。乾隆皇帝熱衷收
taste. Simon Harcourt-Smith who surveyed the 藏鐘錶和自動機械人偶，對歐洲舶來品和中國
clocks in the Imperial Palaces in the early 20th 製造的座鐘皆青睞有加，蒐藏數以千計，設計
century produced an extraordinary account of 精緻新奇，由於多為賞玩而非實用報時，又稱
these pieces that was published as A Catalogue 為音樂鐘。
of Various Clocks, Watches, Automata, and other
Miscellaneous Objects of European Workmanship 相類座鐘，除故宮外，歷經歲月尚能保存良好
Dating from the XVIII and Early XIX Centuries, in 者甚罕。從北京故宮博物院所藏卻可見當時所
the Palace Museum and the Wu Ying Tien, Peiping, 製座鐘，材質各式各樣，見《你應該知道的二
Palace Museum, Peiping (Beijing), 1933. In the 百件鐘錶》，北京，2007年，書中載錄一件
introduction to this now scarce source he writes 座鐘，造形與本品相近，底座配抽屜，圖版
in the introduction; “Taste for clocks and other 93。此鐘以鷹與熊為飾，諧音英雄，中國特
curiosities of the West seems to have invaded 色明顯。前述故宮鐘例則飾有中國風格之菠蘿
the court of China at an early date; already 轉花，秒針造形又與許多中國製座鐘相同。這
at the beginning of the fourteenth century a 兩件座鐘有多處相似，包括瑞士製機芯、琺瑯
French ironsmith, Guillaume Boucher, probably 水法，溢法國路易十六後期風格，或出自同一
a prisoner brought back from some Mongol 作坊。此外，由於許多瑞士鐘錶商及製錶師曾
raid in Hungary, had constructed for the first 居倫敦，故此類奢華鐘錶，除富瑞士風格，也
Yuan Emperor of China an elaborate clock with 見英倫影響，本品與故宮藏例亦不例外，如觀
fountains; and when in 1599, the great missionary 指針之形便可見一斑。
Matteo Ricci arrived in Peking he secured
Imperial favour and an entry to the Court largely 西洋鐘錶與奇玩，早於乾隆以前，已為
by a gift of clocks. However, only at the end of 遠東所珍。二十世紀初英國學者 Simon
the seventeenth century, in the reign of K’ang Harcourt-Smith 研究故宮所藏西洋機械鐘
Hsi, clocks in large numbers began to invade the 錶，並將所得著錄成書，《A Catalogue of
of the Qianlong Emperor “clocks and mechanical other Miscellaneous Objects of European
toys of beauty and ingenuity never before seen Workmanship Dating from the XVIII and
flowed into China from the West at the rate of Early XIX Centuries, in the Palace Museum
thousands a year. In the Imperial Palaces at and the Wu Ying Tien, Peiping》，北
Peking, Yuan Ming Yuan and Jehol the passages 京，1933年，當時此類西洋鐘錶已極珍稀，
of the hours was marked by a fluttering of 他在引言中道，中國宮廷對西方鐘錶和新奇之
enamelled wings, a gushing of glass fountains and 物的興趣早啟於十四世紀，時有一位法國鐵
a spinning of paste stars, while from a thousand 匠 Guillaume Boucher，可能在匈牙利為蒙古
concealed and whirring orchestras, the gavottes 人所擄，後為忽必烈製作了一座華美的水法座
and minuets of London rose strangely into the 鐘。明萬曆二十七年（1599年），傳教士利
Chinese air.” 瑪竇抵京面聖，進獻座鐘，因此深得君心，獲
准入宮。康熙年間十七世紀末，已有大量洋鐘
傳入宮廷。至乾隆之時，每年傳入中國之西洋
鐘錶、珍玩、儀器，數以千計，精妙絕倫之
處，前所未見。在北京紫禁城、圓明園、熱河
行宮各處皆可見精緻富麗的時計，水法流轉，
異彩渙渙。
IMPORTANT CHINESE ART 187