A Gem Inlaid Gild Copper Enamel Floral Clock
清乾隆 禦制鎏金琺瑯嵌寶水法自鳴轉花鐘
Lg.32cm Wd.26cm Ht.60cm
CASE: decorated overall with panels of royal blue guilloché enamel embellished with delicate metal foils of gold and green to depict peacock feathers, and with golden fronds interlaced with multi-coloured garlands of flowers, the domed top surmounted by a later cresting with green and red paste-set automaton catherine wheel revolving against a mirrored plate and within an ormolu sunburst frame, the sides of the cresting applied with paste-set vine leaf mounts, the rear also with a mirror plate, this set with a foliate cast boss, the case angles with beaded and engraved projecting volute and foliate scroll mounts, the side panels with trellis mounts cast as trailing husks dividing panels of peacock feathers, with floral swag mounts to the four cornices and engraved swags to the panels of the platform above them, each corner mounted with a stiff-leaf clasped neo-classical vase, the rear door is an openwork cast panel modelled with mythical phoenixes and floral decoration, the front with conforming decorative panels and with paste-set music selection and hand-set knobs flanking the dial, further paste-set border to the automaton scene concealed by a sliding panel decorated in polychrome enamels with geometric patterns, on a plinth cast with a heavy berried laurel border, the rear applied with paper inventory label 2 and supported on four ormolu and enamel out-swept leaf cast feet with lion's head terminals.
DIAL: with paste-set bezel and convex glass to white enamel Roman and Arabic chapter ring with crossed minute track, delicate gilt-metal spade dragon type hour and minute hands, adjusted by the left knob above.
AUTOMATA: hourly, or by depression of a button to the side of the case, the catherine-wheel at the top revolves and the shutter at the front rises, revealing a scene of two rows of painted metal sailing ships moving in two directions between two spiral-twist glass rods simulating the sea, a cam causing them also to rock naturalistically, with a glass panel behind them reverse painted with trees and a bridge, this laid before a series of spiral-twist glass rods revolving to simulate water falls; all while music plays.
MOVEMENT: the movement with rectangular plates secured by six pillars, rear-wound triple chain and fusees, pinwheel escapement mounted on the back plate, with good quality steel-suspended pendulum signed Borrell's Pendulum on a calibrated rating disc, secured with a holdfast, the music playing two tunes on seven bells (formerly eight) via fourteen hammers (formerly sixteen) and 2½ in. (6 cm.) diameter pinned barrel, the quarters and hours struck on two further bells positioned on the back plate, with button for repeating the hours to the right side of the case, the border-engraved backplate signed Henry Borrell/LONDON within a central cartouche; the music selected by the right knob above the dial and with strike/silent lever above XII.
钟通体金，浅浮雕半透明蓝色珐琅，镶嵌孔雀毛形花片和料石花，三针珐琅钟盘，钟盘外镶嵌红，绿和黄色料石。钟盘上左右上方各有一料石花钮，一为开关钮，一为换乐钮。钟时，刻报时，报时后奏乐，可换两支乐曲。随即钟盘下板提起，露出里边转动的水法，犹如瀑布，瀑布下帆船游动，直到乐止。钟顶饰料石转花。钟板后边刻有字母。
表盘：由贴片镶嵌边框和凸面玻璃、白色珐琅表面组成，罗马和阿拉伯数字刻度字环环绕分钟轨道，精致的鎏金龙型时针及分针，由上方的左旋钮调节。
自动装置：每小时一次，或者按箱子侧面的按钮，顶部的凯瑟琳轮旋转，前部的百叶窗升起，展现了两排彩绘金属帆船在两个螺旋扭曲的玻璃棒之间，向两个方向移动的，模拟大海的场景，一个凸轮让它们自然地摇晃，后面的玻璃板上画着树木和一座桥，这放置在一系列旋转着的螺旋扭曲的玻璃棒前为了模拟瀑布，伴随着这一切音乐响起。
机芯：机芯有六根柱子固定着矩形板，尾部缠绕着三条链条和保险丝，安装在背板上的纸风车擒纵机构，采用优质钢制悬挂式摆锤，在刻度盘上签名波勒尔钟摆，被固定器固定。音乐通过14个铁锤(以前是16个)和6厘米直径固定桶在7个钟声(以前是8个钟声)上播放两个曲调，四分之一秒和一小时敲击两个位于后板上的铃铛，在机箱的右侧有重复计时的按钮，雕刻的边缘签有Henry Borrell/LONDON在中心的椭圆形轮廓内部。通过表盘上方右边的把手和XII上方的敲击/静音杆来选择音乐。
北京故宫博物院藏有一座与此钟相似，同工匠作的鎏金提板音乐钟，著录在1995年《清宫钟表珍藏》第一百页。
参阅：香港佳士得2008年 《日本東京根津美術館藏 – 清宮御藏鐘錶》