The Gallery of Clocks - Appreciate the Superb Skills of Chinese and Foreign Clocks

Chinese timepieces have a long history, and before the Qing Dynasty, they used to be timed by Sundial (日晷). At the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, European mechanical clocks began to be introduced to China, gradually replacing traditional timers. In the eighteenth century, the Qing court made extensive use of mechanical clocks. Most of these clocks are United Kingdom products, but there are also France, Switzerland and other Western countries, as well as domestic manufacturing. Clocks in Western countries were mainly purchased from foreign merchants by the Guangdong Customs and paid tribute to the imperial palace. In the Qing Dynasty, the clocks made in Guangzhou, Suzhou and other places were also paid tribute to the inner court.

The clock-making office set up in the palace was also instructed to make clocks. In addition to the timekeeping function, these clocks also use the principle of mechanical linkage to make the birds, animals, flowers and other entertainment systems decorated on them constantly change and express various movements. They won the love of the emperor with accurate time, exquisite shape, brilliant colors, beautiful music, funny acting skills, and auspicious meanings, and became the precious furnishings and decorations in the palace. At that time, it was not only a timepiece with practical value, but also a entertainment appliance to please, and it was also a handicraft with exquisite skills.

The new space as we see today is expertly designed to highlight the unique artistry of the historical Chinese, English, French, and Swiss clocks. The east and west sides of the gallery display furniture and other objects from the collection to complement the timepieces. Although the new gallery occupies a smaller area than the previous space, the exquisite pieces seen in the original gallery remain on view. For example, the renowned gilded-copper clock with a mechanical figure writing in Chinese and a gilded-copper clock with an elephant pulling a carriage are among the works from the previous displays included in the new gallery. With upgraded displays and facilities, the Gallery of Clocks is able to highlight the beauty of the works on view.