37,500 CHF
MIRROR IMAGE PAIR OF CHINESE BRONZE & RED LACQUER ELEPHANT CLOCKS Chinese, probably Guangzhou workshops, the movements English by Chas. Wall and S. Tracy, London. Qianlong period (1736-1795), made in the late 18th century. Fine and extremely rare, small, mirror-image pair of painted bronze, gilt-bronze and red-lacquered elephant clocks. Cast and chased painted bronze elephant with gilt tusks and harnesses, cloth over the back with gilt engraved and red-painted decoration, Chinese vase support for the drum clock housing on the elephant's back, gilt-bronze leaf and berry surmounts and bird finial, bombe wooden base overlaid with red-lacquered metal and decorated with gilt-bronze foliate mounts and paterae. White enamel with radial Roman numerals, outer dot minute divisions and large Arabic five-minute numerals. Gilt beetle and poker hands. 37 mm., gilt-brass, full plate, fusee and chain, verge escapement, three-arm balance, pierced and engraved single- footed cock with streamers, silvered regulation dial. Movements signed Chas. Wall, London, 567 & S. Tracy, London, 1491. The underside of the bases inscribed "head" in ink with Chinese characters. Notes DIM. 27 x 18.8 x 9.5 cm. Most clocks and watches either made in China or imported to China from the West were made in pairs. Very often the pair became separated over time and it is very rare that a pair of late 18th century clocks have remained together until the present day. Of charmingly small size, this pair of mirror Read more…
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2014-03-16
