500,000 HKD
CHINESE MUSICAL, ACROBAT, WATERFALL & FISH AUTOMATON TABLE CLOCK Chinese, probably Guangzhou workshops, Jiaqing period (1796-1820), made in the early 19th century. Very fine and extremely rare, musical and automaton , quarter-striking, inlaid wood and gilt-brass, center-seconds table clock with double wheel duplex escapement, the music with twelve hammers on bells, the automatons with five actions including acrobat, playing on the hour or at will. In three tiers, rectangular base with brass inlaid stylized flowerheads and foliage, the front glazed to view the automaton scene of a river flowing before a waterfall composed of rotating silver-lined glass rods and jumping carp in the river, painted figures of the eight immortals of Ba Xian standing in line in front of the waterfall, painted landscape surround and figures and goats in the foreground, brass top with pierced gallery, rectangular pedestal with mirrored sides and gilt-brass scroll corner mounts, the front with glazed aperture for viewing the acrobat rising and rotating on a parallel bar supported by two further figures, flanked on both sides by a revolving disc mounted with four standing Chinese figures reflected in the mirrors, wave-scroll feet, drum-shaped casing for the clock above, the sides inlaid with brass flowerheads, ribbon, branch and peal swag mounts, gilt finial of a crowing cockerel on scroll supports, gilt bezel. White enamel with radial Roman numerals, outer minutes and second divisions, Arabic fifte Read more…
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2014-06-28
