Page 89 - Sotheby's Speelman Collection Oct. 3, 2018

ON A QIANLONG-REIGN MARKED

GILT-BRONZE CLOCK

GUO FUXIANG

The Chinese were fascinated by clocks ever since their needles made of blue steel. Above each corner of the main
introduction into China during the late Ming dynasty. Both body of the clock is a rectangular pillar topped with an ovoid
the imperial court and private collectors developed major structure with a stupa-like ending. Railings decorated with
collections of clocks. For over three centuries, the Chinese interlocking guaizi-patterned scrolls run between these
studied and replicated Western clock mechanics. The clocks pillars. In the middle of the pillars is a double dome ending
created by the Qing court workshops were the finest and best with another stupa-like structure at the top. The lower dome
documented, and the trajectory of their development gives contains twelve archways, each half-covered with a shield
a basic picture of the history of clocks in China as a whole. carved with passion flower patterns in openwork. The upper
The freestanding gilt-bronze clock with a Qianlong reign mark dome is carved in openwork with a continuous passion flower
currently on offer at Sotheby’s is one of the products of the scroll. The top structure consists of a sphere topped by a
Qing court workshops. Let us now put it into its historical stupa-like ending. The movement contains three mechanisms,
context to allow collectors and other interested people a fuller responsible respectively for keeping time, reporting the hour,
understanding of its significance. and reporting the quarter-hour. At every hour and quarter-
hour, the clock knocks on the bronze bowl. The clock also
The clock is in the form of a freestanding tower, square at
the bottom and circular at the top. It measures 24 cm wide, came equipped with a mechanism for reporting the time on
24 cm deep, and 55 cm tall. It stands on four spherical wood demand by pulling on a string (now lost) suspended through
feet with gold bands running around them. Above these is a a small hole on the right door. The decorative scheme of this
narrower waist decorated on all four sides with scrolling floral freestanding clock consists primarily of passion flowers. The
patterns in gold paint, and above the waist a gilt-copper plate workmanship is very sophisticated. Gilded in its entirety, the
with rounded corners. On all four corners of the plate stand clock gives an aura of luxury, and most likely originated in the
gilt-bronze columns carved with passion flowers, which in clock workshop of the Qianlong court.
turn support a square frame above. Between the columns is The Qing court’s production of clocks began in the Shunzhi
the main body of the clock, with the movement in the middle period (1644-1661), which immediately followed the Manchu’s
and sliding doors on the right, left, and back sides. The frontal conquest of the Chinese mainland. But technological
bronze plate is embedded with a silver clock face. On each limitations meant that these early clocks were inaccurate,
corner of the clock face is embedded a cut-branch of passion and were rather closer to mechanical gyroscopes with the
flowers. The circular gilt-bronze plate inside the clock face appearances of clocks. The introduction of Western technical
is carved with leaf scrolls over a ground with round bead knowledge during the Kangxi period (1662-1722) greatly
patterns. At the top of the circular plate is embedded a curved improved the quality of Qing clocks. The imperial court even
silver plaque that bears the reign mark Qianlong nian zhi. established the Zimingzhongchu, a workshop that created
Three winding holes are located respectively at the positions new mechanical clocks to order and repaired old ones. During
of 3, 6, and 9 o’clock. The clock hands end with flower-shaped

GEMS OF CHINESE ART — THE SPEELMAN COLLECTION II 87