Pagoda Automaton Musical Clock for the Qing Imperial Court

This magnificent English-made bronze pagoda form automaton table clock is extremely rare. White enamel dials are on the front and both sides, front dial with sweep seconds hand. Quarter striking movement on two bells drives the three dials. The time movement triggers the automaton mechanism once every two hours corresponding to the twelve-hour Chinese zodiac time system, as the pearl-encrusted tiers rise and fall. The bronze case has elegant colored paste-set gems around the bezel and at the floral corner spandrels. Each side of the upper tiers is gold gilded with silver doorways, pearl studded roof tops with hanging corner bells. The case form is based on the "Porcelain Tower (Pagoda) of Nanjing”, which was constructed in the 15th century. In addition to the rising and lowering of the pagoda tiers, the movement plays two different tunes on a nest of eight bells, including the Chinese folk song, Mo Li Hua.

The Porcelain Pagoda of Nanjing, also known as Temple of Repaid Gratitude, was built in the 15th century during the Chinese Ming dynasty and took almost twenty years to complete. Visitors from the West showered it with praise. Many scholars classified it as one of the post-medieval Seven Wonders of the World. It was one of the largest buildings in China at the time, with its nine stories and a staircase in the middle of the pagoda. The pagoda was covered with white porcelain bricks to reflect the sunlight during the day. The inlaid pearls of this rare example may have emulated the glowing porcelain bricks of the original. Its fame launched great interest in pagodas in Europe, such as the Kew Gardens in London, and a porcelain replica in the Victoria and Albert Museum. It was mostly destroyed in the 19th century during the Taiping Rebellion. These precious inspirations are all we have left of this illustrious original.