A SUPERB IMPERIAL CHINESE ORMOLU, ENAMEL AND PASTE-SET QUARTER-STRIKING, MUSICAL AND AUTOMATON 'SINGING BIRD' CLOCK

A SUPERB IMPERIAL CHINESE ORMOLU, ENAMEL AND PASTE-SET QUARTER-STRIKING, MUSICAL AND AUTOMATON \'SINGING BIRD\' CLOCK

GUANGZHOU WORKSHOPS. QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795), LATE 18TH CENTURY



CASE: modelled in three tiers;

The base section of rectangular outline and embellished with panels of gilded copper repoussé decorated with trailing floral designs, within beaded frames and bordered by red paste gems, the front centred by a clock flanked by two arched glazed panels for the automaton figure scenes and the sides with further glazed automaton fish scenes (see below), the rear with a silk-backed pierced and engraved ormolu panel, raised on an acanthus-cast gallery and on elaborate ormolu feet cast as openwork acanthus leaves, with aprons of trailing foliage between them;

The middle section with florally-engraved platform bordered by an openwork gallery with knop finials at its angles, the four corners mounted with part foliate cast baluster vases issuing yellow, green and red paste-set automaton whirligigs in four cascading tiers, the panels decorated as for the base below and with a glazed automaton scene to the front (see below), the rear with paper inventory label 5;

The upper section with a conforming gallery above a further paste-set border and around a florally-engraved platform, this mounted to the four corners with baluster vases matching those below and issuing automaton plants mounted with paste-set flowers, centred by a octagonal jardiniere decorated with panels of translucent blue basse-taille enamel embellished with green and gold floral enamels, the edges and angles of the jardiniere defined with lines of red paste gems, with a florally-engraved ormolu upper border framing a painted metal panel decorated with small flowerhead designs, from which arises a painted metal tree mounted with naturalistically \'trembling\' paste gem-set flowers and topped by three automaton paste-set flowers, with two wooden automaton birds decorated with kingfisher feathers to the front (see below)



DIAL: with red, yellow and green paste-set bezel to a convex glass, white enamel dial with Roman chapter ring and crossed minute track, gilt-metal spade hands and blued steel seconds hand



AUTOMATA: hourly, or at will by pressing a knob to the right rear corner of the case, numerous automata perform; the red curtains behind the arched glazed panels at the front of the clock slowly rise, each revealing two painted wood figures in Chinese costume revolving on a platform within a niche painted with flowers and balustrades, between them they hold a blue painted baluster vase decorated with gold stars and issuing gilt-metal flowers which slowly rises and falls as the figures turn, as if it is being offered in tribute; meanwhile at the sides the glazed panels are reverse-mounted with cut-out painted metal borders depicting European figures and houses, these framing glass rods which revolve to simulate water and between them small painted metal fish periodically \'leap\', all against a mirrored background framed by painted metal foliage; in the middle section a painted metal Qilin mythical beast with yinyang symbol on its back moves its head whilst the \'pearl\' within the yinyang symbol revolves, the ground on which the beast rests is silvered and engraved in a pattern to simulate waves and cut with three apertures below which spiral-twist glass rods revolve to simulate moving water, the back of the panel being painted with a coastal landscape and with two trees modelled in relief, one of them gilt-painted and mounted with paste gem flowers; to the sides and above, the four whirligigs and the four floral displays all turn simultaneously and at the top of the tree the three paste-set flowerheads revolve whilst spinning and the leafy plant above them also revolves; all this occurs while music plays and as the music ends the curtains at the front fall down again and then the two birds move on their perches and sing, while opening their beaks and flapping their wings



CLOCK MOVEMENT: with circular plates, twin chain and fusees with verge escapement and quarter strike on two bells, wound through the front of the case, hands also set through the front of the case and with pendulum-starting arbor to the lower front of the case, the clock movement with hourly trip to;



MUSICAL AUTOMATA MOVEMENT: housed in the base, with single chain and fusee wound through the right side, with pinned barrel and playing one of four tunes (no selection) on ten bells with ten hammers, driving the automata via a system of gears, with trip to;



THE AUTOMATON BIRDS: powered by a further movement, with single chain and fusee wound through the rear of the mid section, driving the bellows for the birdsong and levers to make them move



39¼ in. (100 cm.) high x 18¼ in. (46.5 cm.) wide x 15¼ in. (39 cm.) deep