Chinese Automaton Clock: An Eighteenth-Century Gem

This clock made in China in the 18th century to please the Qianlong emperor not only gives the time—it comes alive from top to bottom to pay tribute to the sovereign. China, Qianlong era (1736-1795). Imperial automaton clock decorated with tribute bearers, gilded bronze, colored stone inlays, reverse glass painting, mirror, enamel and silk, three-melody bell mechanism, 85 x 24 x 23 cm/33.4 x 9.4 x 9 in. Estimate: €800,000/1.2 M On May 27, 2008, in Hong Kong: Christie’s dispersed a beautiful collection of fifteen late eighteenth-century Chinese automaton clocks from the collections of the Nezu Museum in Tokyo. Clocks that belonged