Page 228 - Bonhams Chinese Art London May 2013

190 Y The interest in collecting European clocks and watches in the
An Imperial rare gilt-decorated ‘clock’ snuff bottle Chinese Imperial Court started during the Wanli reign in the late
Qianlong seal mark and of the period Ming Dynasty when a Jesuit missionary presented the Emperor
The flattened circular bottle resting on an oval foot, each side with with a watch and a chiming clock. During the Qing Dynasty, the
a protruding bulbous medallion enamelled with a clock face with Kangxi Emperor expressed keen interest in Western art, science and
Roman numerals encircled by a set of Arabic numerals, the narrow technology including European watches and clocks, which were
sides gilt-decorated in low relief with delicate floral scrolls, porcelain often brought as ‘tributes’. European clocks and watches reached
stopper. their greatest popularity during the Kangxi and Qianlong periods
5.3cm (2in) high (2). and further to importation were also produced in Guangzhou and
£8,000 - 12,000 in the Imperial workshops in Beijing.
HK$94,000 - 140,000 CNY75,000 - 110,000

清乾隆 御製瓷胎描金地開光雙時鐘紋鼻煙壺 礬紅「乾隆年製」
篆書款

Provenance: A European private collection and thence by descent

來源：歐洲私人收藏，並由家族繼承下去

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