PITTSFIELD, Mass. – A rare 18th century English-made pagoda-form automaton musical clock, produced for the Chinese Qing Imperial Court, is expected to soar to $800,000-$1.2 million at an Antique & Fine Arts Auction taking place on Saturday, Jan. 21, by Fontaine’s Auction Gallery. Absentee and Internet live bidding is available through LiveAuctioneers.
The clock (above) is the expected top lot in a sale that will feature over 500 items, including a fine clock collection, watches, music boxes, Tiffany lighting, exceptional furniture, oil paintings, bronzes, estate jewelry, fine silver and accessories.
The clock stands 50 inches tall, raised, on a large wood block base, and weighs 100 pounds. It has an engraved chessboard pattern brass top, with 5-inch painted metal dials on the front and both sides and Roman hour numerals. The time movement triggers the automaton mechanism once every two hours, and the heavy bronze case has elegant color paste set jewels.
The case form is based on the Porcelain Pagoda of Nanjing (or the Temple of Repaid Gratitude), built in the 15th century, during the Chinese Ming dynasty. It was destroyed in the 19th century, during the Taiping Rebellion. At nine stories it was one of the tallest buildings in China and often called one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
As beautiful as the clock is physically, it is equally enchanting musically. It plays two different tunes on eight bells, which chime every two hours.
In addition, E. Howard & Co. clocks, popular with collectors, are a staple at most Fontaine’s clock auctions, and this sale has several, led by a No. 61 floor regulator with the original signed 14-inch painted dial, 96 inches tall, estimated at $60,000-$80,000.
Tops in the fine art category is a mixed media abstract composition drawing on paper by Fernand Leger (1881-1955), monogrammed and signed “F.L.” lower right, with an estimate of $25,000-$40,000.
Three silver mounted quartz covered urns – one large round and two egg-shape carved clear crystal bowls – are being sold as one lot with an estimate of $20,000-$30,000.
It wouldn’t be a Fontaine’s auction without something from the Tiffany Studios. Offered will be a large Tiffany art glass oil lamp, 35 inches tall, with an 11-inch diameter unsigned leaded green and opalescent swirl chunk jeweled glass globe, expected to fetch $12,000-$15,000.
For details contact Fontaine’s Auction Gallery at info@fontainesauction.com or 413-448-8922.
[av_button label=’View the fully illustrated catalog and bid on LiveAuctioneers.’ link=’manually,http://bit.ly/2jUZouQ’ link_target=’_blank’ size=’medium’ position=’center’ icon_select=’no’ icon=’ue800′ font=’entypo-fontello’ color=’theme-color’ custom_bg=’#444444′ custom_font=’#ffffff’ av_uid=’av-qykavy’]
