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    Sale 7604

    Important Clocks and Marine Chronometers

    London

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    1 July 2008

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    • A Chinese gilt-metal and silve
    Lot 9

    A Chinese gilt-metal and silvered quarter striking table clock with duplex escapement

    PROBABLY GUANGZHOU WORKSHOPS. JIAQING PERIOD (1760-1820), EARLY 19TH CENTURY.

    Price realised

    GBP 55,250

    Estimate

    GBP 3,000 - GBP 5,000

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    Add to Interests

    A Chinese gilt-metal and silvered quarter striking table clock with duplex escapement
    Probably Guangzhou workshops. Jiaqing Period (1760-1820), early 19th Century.
    The case with floral finials to all angles and surmounted by a flowering urn decorated with paste-set and enamelled flowers and enamelled butterfly, foliate cast frets above the silvered floral embossed front panel with applied exotic bird and animal mounts, the side panels with applied flaming urn mounts, paste-set bezel to the 5½ in. diameter white enamel Roman and Arabic dial with cut brass hands and fine counterpoised blued steel centre seconds hand, the movement with rear hand set, twin chain fusees, duplex escapement with engraved gilt-metal bridge to three-arm brass balance with blued steel bats' wings, the foliate engraved back plate with engraved border, striking the quarters on a nest of eight bells and the hours on further bell; winding key
    17 in. (43 cm.) high

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    Lot Essay

    Chinese clockmaking developed significantly at the end of the 18th Century. The present clock displays many features typical of Chinese workmanship and was probably made in Guangzhou, where clockmaking workshops arose alongside the trade in imported clocks. Of note is the use of paste gem decoration, the unsigned dial and movement, the typical use of a sweep seconds hand and the employment of a duplex escapement, more commonly used on Chinese and Chinese market table clocks than on their European counterparts. A Chinese clock of related design was sold Sotheby's London, Clocks, Watches, Wristwatches and Barometers, 18 December 1990, lot 63.

    Other information

    Special Notice

    No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.


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