The timeless allure of lavish clocks
3 months, 2 weeks ago

The timeless allure of lavish clocks

China Daily  

The exquisitely crafted Apparition des Baies by Van Cleef & Arpels claimed the spotlight at Watches and Wonders Geneva 2024. Love of Western models Zimingzhong: Clockwork Treasures from China's Forbidden City, an exhibition that concluded in June at London's Science Museum, showcased a magnificent collection of clocks from the Palace Museum in Beijing. Often created as bespoke pieces for Qing Dynasty emperors, they are a testament to the early days of Chinese collectors' growing interest in ornate clocks made in the West, besides serving as tokens of cultural exchange and trade between China and Europe in the 1700s. Interestingly, the wealthy Chinese elite's fascination with Western mechanical clocks had an impact on European clockmakers, who began incorporating elements of both Chinese horological technology as well as design in their creations. The growing market for these intricately crafted timepieces suggests the presence of master craftsmen and connoisseurs who see clocks as objects of art rather than just a device with a functional value.

China Chinese Horological Science  chinese  growing  timeless  exhibition  clocks  european  western  museum  suggests  lavish  allure  horological  science

History of this topic

Timely exhibition of Qing watches and clocks
3 months, 1 week ago

Timely exhibition of Qing watches and clocks

China Daily  

"Treasured Time", an immersive exhibition displaying watches and clocks collected by the royal family during the Qing dynasty is running at the Memor Museum at Beijing 751 Park. "Treasured Time", an immersive exhibition displaying watches and clocks collected by the royal family during the Qing Dynasty is running at the Memor Museum at Beijing 751 Park. During the opening ceremony, …

Timely exhibition of Qing watches and clocks
3 months, 1 week ago

Timely exhibition of Qing watches and clocks

China Daily  

"Treasured Time", an immersive exhibition displaying watches and clocks collected by the royal family during the Qing dynasty is running at the Memor Museum at Beijing 751 Park. The exhibition is arranged in ancient court style, perfectly presenting the history and art of Qing Palace clocks, inviting the audience to a journey back in time to the charm of Qing …

Timely exhibition of Qing watches and clocks
3 months, 1 week ago

Timely exhibition of Qing watches and clocks

China Daily  

"Treasured Time", an immersive exhibition displaying watches and clocks collected by the royal family during the Qing dynasty is running at the Memor Museum at Beijing 751 Park. The exhibition is arranged in ancient court style, perfectly presenting the history and art of Qing Palace clocks, inviting the audience to a journey back in time to the charm of Qing …

Timely exhibition of Qing watches and clocks
3 months, 1 week ago

Timely exhibition of Qing watches and clocks

China Daily  

"Treasured Time", an immersive exhibition displaying watches and clocks collected by the royal family during the Qing dynasty is running at the Memor Museum at Beijing 751 Park. The exhibition is arranged in ancient court style, perfectly presenting the history and art of Qing Palace clocks, inviting the audience to a journey back in time to the charm of Qing …

The timeless allure of lavish clocks
3 months, 2 weeks ago

The timeless allure of lavish clocks

China Daily  

Installation view of Zimingzhong: Clockwork Treasures from China's Forbidden City, held at the Science Museum, London. Elaborately designed luxury clocks that are often a cross between high jewelry and exquisite horological craftsmanship are in the spotlight once again, attracting the attention of collectors the world over. In April, at Watches and Wonders Geneva, luxury giants Chanel and Van Cleef & …

The timeless allure of lavish clocks
3 months, 2 weeks ago

The timeless allure of lavish clocks

China Daily  

Installation view of Zimingzhong: Clockwork Treasures from China's Forbidden City, held at the Science Museum, London. Elaborately designed luxury clocks that are often a cross between high jewelry and exquisite horological craftsmanship are in the spotlight once again, attracting the attention of collectors the world over. In April, at Watches and Wonders Geneva, luxury giants Chanel and Van Cleef & …

The timeless allure of lavish clocks
3 months, 2 weeks ago

The timeless allure of lavish clocks

China Daily  

Installation view of Zimingzhong: Clockwork Treasures from China's Forbidden City, held at the Science Museum, London. Elaborately designed luxury clocks that are often a cross between high jewelry and exquisite horological craftsmanship are in the spotlight once again, attracting the attention of collectors the world over. In April, at Watches and Wonders Geneva, luxury giants Chanel and Van Cleef & …

The timeless allure of lavish clocks
3 months, 2 weeks ago

The timeless allure of lavish clocks

China Daily  

Installation view of Zimingzhong: Clockwork Treasures from China's Forbidden City, held at the Science Museum, London. Elaborately designed luxury clocks that are often a cross between high jewelry and exquisite horological craftsmanship are in the spotlight once again, attracting the attention of collectors the world over. In April, at Watches and Wonders Geneva, luxury giants Chanel and Van Cleef & …

A date with Zhangzhou's clock and watch manufacturing
7 months ago

A date with Zhangzhou's clock and watch manufacturing

China Daily  

By Liu Xiaozhuo | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2024-05-21 A Date with China media tour visits the Maritime Silk Road Horologe Museum in Zhangzhou, East China's Fujian province, on May 19, 2024. Members of the international media tour A Date with China visited the Maritime Silk Road Horologe Museum in Zhangzhou, East China's Fujian province, on Sunday and got a closer …

A date with Zhangzhou's clock and watch manufacturing
7 months ago

A date with Zhangzhou's clock and watch manufacturing

China Daily  

A Date with China media tour visits the Maritime Silk Road Horologe Museum in Zhangzhou, East China's Fujian province, on May 19, 2024. Members of the international media tour A Date with China visited the Maritime Silk Road Horologe Museum in Zhangzhou, East China's Fujian province, on Sunday and got a closer look at the history and current development of …

Clockwork wonders tell tale of cultural exchange
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Clockwork wonders tell tale of cultural exchange

China Daily  

A Zimingzhong with British and Chinese mechanisms. Splendid history Another sign of close ties with China is that the Science Museum recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the China National Space Administration, which it hopes will result in some Chinese space program artifacts being added to its already extensive space collection. Speaking at the exhibition's opening ceremony, Chinese Ambassador …

Clockwork wonders tell tale of cultural exchange
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Clockwork wonders tell tale of cultural exchange

China Daily  

The exhibition, entitled Zimingzhong: Clockwork Treasures from China's Forbidden City, in London’s Science Museum ends in June. Snapshot in time In addition to their aesthetic values, and mirroring their makers' somewhat imprecise impressions of Asia, the exhibition explains the symbolic importance of owning such treasures, as, in the words of the exhibition notes, "displaying 'exotic' items from a generalized 'West' …

Clockwork wonders tell tale of cultural exchange
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Clockwork wonders tell tale of cultural exchange

China Daily  

Start of the story Although it was Ricci who introduced modern clock technology to China, it is in fact China itself where the roots of mechanized timekeeping can be found. "Clocks were invented in China in 1088 by Su Song with his waterwheel, but that technology and knowledge seems to have been lost over time, so when clocks arrived with …

Clockwork wonders tell tale of cultural exchange
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Clockwork wonders tell tale of cultural exchange

China Daily  

In their time, the 23 priceless pieces on display in the exhibition were technical marvels, works of art, and important symbols of social status. Some of the most elaborate and culturally important artifacts from Beijing's Palace Museum have gone on display at London's Science Museum for the first time, as part of an exhibition looking at the art of clockmaking, …

Clockwork wonders tell tale of cultural exchange
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Clockwork wonders tell tale of cultural exchange

China Daily  

In their time, the 23 priceless pieces on display in the exhibition were technical marvels, works of art, and important symbols of social status. Some of the most elaborate and culturally important artifacts from Beijing's Palace Museum have gone on display at London's Science Museum for the first time, as part of an exhibition looking at the art of clockmaking, …

Back to the future
1 year, 11 months ago

Back to the future

China Daily  

After a year of complex restoration, specialists from the Palace Museum in Beijing have given a pair of antique pagoda clock automata a new lease on life. In 2019, the Palace Museum and the Summer Palace established a joint conservation studio for ancient clock restoration to help restore badly damaged clocks. In 2015, the palace and the Haidian Museum launched …

A man with time on his hands
2 years, 3 months ago

A man with time on his hands

China Daily  

Made in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, an important clock-producing center for the imperial court, two gilt copper clocks combine Western horology techniques with Chinese elements. Passing down the skill "With the rising attention and influence, antique clock restoration can not only be further developed, but also be expanded to more museums that house antique clocks and watches," Qi says. According to …

A man with time on his hands
2 years, 3 months ago

A man with time on his hands

China Daily  

Clock conservator Qi Haonan restores an antique clock at the Palace Museum in Beijing, which houses around 1,500 such royal treasures. As the fourth generation to repair and restore antique clocks at the museum since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Qi has returned more than 100 timepieces to their former glory. Through cleaning and restoration, …

A man with time on his hands
2 years, 3 months ago

A man with time on his hands

China Daily  

Clock conservator Qi Haonan restores an antique clock at the Palace Museum in Beijing, which houses around 1,500 such royal treasures. As the fourth generation to repair and restore antique clocks at the museum since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Qi has returned more than 100 timepieces to their former glory. Through cleaning and restoration, …

A man with time on his hands
2 years, 3 months ago

A man with time on his hands

China Daily  

"The collaboration helps the museums set up a communication and resource sharing platform for antique timepieces," Qi says, adding that an archive on clock restoration has been established, comprising photos and texts about the restoration process. Based on the archive, three books were published, introducing the history, mechanics, design and characteristics of antique timepieces made in the UK, Switzerland and …

A man with time on his hands
2 years, 3 months ago

A man with time on his hands

China Daily  

Clock conservator Qi Haonan restores an antique clock at the Palace Museum in Beijing, which houses around 1,500 such royal treasures. As the fourth generation to repair and restore antique clocks at the museum since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Qi has returned more than 100 timepieces to their former glory. Through cleaning and restoration, …

A man with time on his hands
2 years, 3 months ago

A man with time on his hands

China Daily  

Clock conservator Qi Haonan restores an antique clock at the Palace Museum in Beijing, which houses around 1,500 such royal treasures. As the fourth generation to repair and restore antique clocks at the museum since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Qi has returned more than 100 timepieces to their former glory. Through cleaning and restoration, …

A man with time on his hands
2 years, 3 months ago

A man with time on his hands

China Daily  

Clock conservator Qi Haonan restores an antique clock at the Palace Museum in Beijing, which houses around 1,500 such royal treasures. As the fourth generation to repair and restore antique clocks at the museum since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Qi has returned more than 100 timepieces to their former glory. Through cleaning and restoration, …

Copper-cast carved clocks popular at home and abroad
2 years, 3 months ago

Copper-cast carved clocks popular at home and abroad

China Daily  

A staff member sells copper-cast carved antique clocks via livestream in Liaocheng, East China's Shandong province, on Aug 24, 2022. Copper-cast carved antique clocks are on display in Liaocheng, East China's Shandong province, on Aug 24, 2022. Ma Xianming, inheritor of copper casting carving technique, installs an antique clock in Liaocheng, East China's Shandong province, on Aug 24, 2022. A …

The time of emperors
2 years, 10 months ago

The time of emperors

China Daily  

Visitors take a close look at the antique clocks at the Palace Museum in Beijing. The Palace Museum and Chengde Mountain Resort highlight a collection of imported and domestic antique clocks, Wang Kaihao reports. While the Palace Museum, China's imperial palace in Beijing from 1420 to 1911, also known as the Forbidden City, houses myriad artifacts that showcase traditional Chinese …

The time of emperors
2 years, 10 months ago

The time of emperors

China Daily  

Visitors take a close look at the antique clocks at the Palace Museum in Beijing. The Palace Museum and Chengde Mountain Resort highlight a collection of imported and domestic antique clocks, Wang Kaihao reports. While the Palace Museum, China's imperial palace in Beijing from 1420 to 1911, also known as the Forbidden City, houses myriad artifacts that showcase traditional Chinese …

The time of emperors
2 years, 10 months ago

The time of emperors

China Daily  

Visitors take a close look at the antique clocks at the Palace Museum in Beijing. The Palace Museum and Chengde Mountain Resort highlight a collection of imported and domestic antique clocks, Wang Kaihao reports. While the Palace Museum, China's imperial palace in Beijing from 1420 to 1911, also known as the Forbidden City, houses myriad artifacts that showcase traditional Chinese …

The time of emperors
2 years, 10 months ago

The time of emperors

China Daily  

Visitors take a close look at the antique clocks at the Palace Museum in Beijing. "Many European artisans wondered why their clients would order clocks in pairs, as recorded in historical files," Guo says. Nevertheless, it is the timepiece that helped to reestablish links between the Chinese royal court and Europe after the decline of the ancient Silk Road as …

Palace museums fix old clocks in timely fashion
4 years, 1 month ago

Palace museums fix old clocks in timely fashion

China Daily  

SHENYANG - The palace museums in the capital city of Beijing and the Northeast China city of Shenyang have joined hands in restoring antique clocks from the Qing Dynasty. Li Shengneng, director of the Shenyang Palace Museum, says the museum has a collection of more than 40 clocks and watches, mostly from the Qing Dynasty, and some of them were …

Discover Related