Luxury Timepieces – Key to the Gates of the Eastern Empire (Pt. 2)

Adored by Emperor Kangxi and Yongzheng, Qianlong Emperor (1711-1799) took the throne to become the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, ruling over China for 60 years (1735-1796). During his long reign, China became the most powerful empire in East Asia, not only because he received a thriving nation from his predecessors but also because he was an accomplished and cultured ruler.

Qianlong’s interests spanned many different disciplines. He depicted himself in the image of a politician, militant, priest, writer, and artist. A true Renaissance man, he showed his lifetime passion in art by assembling one of the most comprehensive collections of that time. His massive collection varied from typical Easterner’s favourite artefacts such as ink paintings, calligraphy, objects of jade, ceramic and bronze, to the exquisite products of Western culture that include oil paintings and chiming clocks. Qianlong used his collection to position himself as a cultured ruler and as a patron of the arts.

In addition to his interests in collecting art, Qianlong combined his passion in practising art with his polymath brain. He studied Chinese paintings and calligraphy and added poetic inscriptions on the paintings of the imperial collection. Published in a tenfold series between 1749 and 1800, there were more than 40,000 poems and 1300 pieces of prose written by Qianlong, making him one of the most prolific writers in Chinese history.

Embracing Western Art & Culture

In the middle of the 18th century, Qianlong presided over increased interaction with foreign kingdoms. Consequently, foreign trade rose, and as a result, merchants and missionaries journeyed to China from overseas. Qianlong readily embraced the art and culture from foreign nations such as Japan, India and especially those in the West. Mentioned in the previous article, luxury timepieces were the first gifts the Western missionary presented to the Ming court and remained a core part of the imperial collection for generations. Qianlong’s appreciation of Western art and culture saw him collect all matter of timepieces.

The Gilded brass automaton (pictured above), shows how designs were tailored to the Chinese market. This particular timepiece incorporated the shape of traditional Chinese birdcage, decorated with lavishly ornamented articles including a rotating firework on the top and 12 pineapple trees serve as columns to form the cage frame.

Emperor’s favourite ‘toy’: A ‘robot’ calligrapher

Qianlong’s affection for chiming clocks, saw the imperial collection grow considerably. While we don’t know how many clocks he possessed, the Palace Museum in Beijing houses more than 1,500 exquisite timepieces, 82 pieces are currently on display in Clock and Watch Hall inside the Forbidden City. There are various types of clocks on display in the Hall that present the excellence of craft and manufacture in clock making at the time. Featuring clocks from makers across Europe, most being either of French or Swiss origin.

Autographed by British clockmaker Timothy Williamson, primarily designed and manufactured by Swiss renowned watchmaker Jaquet-Droz family, this special clock (pictured below) is a 2.31 metre tall complex apparatus with a gilded four-floor copper pagoda supporting by a coffee table with carved wood legs. At the top, two dancing figures hold a scroll. As the clock strikes so does the dancers move and then the scroll is being opened. A musician rings a bell every three hours to tell time and a dial plate is designed on the second and third floor, respectively.

The most striking part of the clock sits on the fourth floor of the pagoda featuring a kneeling young writer in Georgian court suits. Instead of writing in alphabet, this man neatly writes in Chinese. He uses a brush pen that he dips in the ink well upon moving to a new line, and his eyes follow the text as he writes. The calligrapher is the most complex of the three automatons, bringing a legacy of Jaquet-Droz craftsmanship from the past to the present.

The automaton can write a text of 8 characters, set out over two lines. The meaning of the text is: neighboring countries are looking forward to visiting the highly civilised empire; all people in the world should come to respect and tribute its emperor ( 八方向化，九土来王). The Calligrapher is one of Qianlong Emperor’s favourite timepieces. After his retirement, he requested specifically to move the clock into his retirement residence, the Palace of Tranquil Longevity as a recreational facility. Meanwhile, Qianlong translated the name Jaquet-Droz as 雅克德罗 in Mandarin Chinese. He was the first person in translating the name and his translation remains in use today.

Clocks As A Bridge Between Civilisations

Clocks made during the Qianlong era reflected European influences and the pinnacle of artistic achievement in the 18th century. The clocks, more than any other artefacts, also represented the cross-cultural interaction going on between the East and the West in the 18th century.