Gilded Copper Clock with a Writing Figure
Mechanical clocks were introduced to the Forbidden City in Beijing during the reign of Emperor Wanli of the Ming Dynasty and quickly became important ornaments in the royal collection. Today, the Palace Museum houses more than 1,500 pieces of vintage clocks from both home and abroad, and this gilded copper clock with a writing figure is a standout among them.
The clock is shaped like a four-story pavilion. Two copper figures stand in the round pavilion on the top. When the mechanical system starts, a banner held by the two figures unfolds slowly, displaying four Chinese characters "萬壽無疆", meaning "boundless longevity".
On the floor beneath the round pavilion is a bell ringer directly above the dial, who strikes a bowl-shaped bell to play music after the announcement of 3, 6, 9, or 12 o'clock. The dial is on the second floor. The first floor is the most spectacular and ingenious part—a mechanical figure who can write.
The writing figure is a European gentleman, who kneels on one knee while holding a brush pen in his right hand. After winding, he will write eight Chinese characters, "八方向化，九土來王", translated as "All from eight directions and nine territories bow down to his majesty", and his head will swing accordingly. All of this is controlled entirely by the intricate mechanical structure of the clock movement, making it a masterpiece of mechanical art.
This clock was made for the Qing royal court by Williamson, a famous British clockmaker family in the 18th Century. With exquisite craftsmanship and intricate mechanical designs, it was loved by Emperor Qianlong very much. The clock perfectly embodies integration of Chinese and Western cultures in clockmaking.
銅鍍金寫字人鐘
機械鐘表自明代萬歷時期進入北京紫禁城，繼而成為重要的宮廷陳設、收藏。如今故宮博物院仍藏有中外鐘表1500余件，銅鍍金寫字人鐘便是個中精品。
寫字人鐘為銅鍍金四層樓閣。頂層圓亭內(nèi)兩銅人舉橫幅站立，機械啟動時，兩人手舉橫幅緩緩展開，上書“萬壽無疆”四字。圓亭下的樓閣上有一敲鐘人，位于表盤正上方，每逢3、6、9、12時報時完畢，便會擊打鐘碗奏樂。表盤為第三層。下面一層為底層，是此鐘最精彩、新奇的部分：寫字機械人。
寫字人為歐洲紳士模樣，單膝跪地，右手執(zhí)毛筆，上弦后可在面前紙條上寫出“八方向化，九土來王”8個漢字，頭部也會隨之擺動。而這一切完全通過機芯內(nèi)龐雜精密的機械結(jié)構(gòu)控制完成，可謂是機械藝術(shù)之杰作。
此鐘為18世紀英國著名的制鐘世家威廉森專為清宮制造，做工精湛，機械表演復雜多樣，頗受乾隆皇帝喜愛，是中西文化融合在鐘表上的最佳體現(xiàn)。
