Sotheby’s London to present Swan clock on July 9, 2014

KOLKATA: On July 9, 2014, Sotheby’s London will present a mesmerising Swan clock which was made in London, circa 1790 for a Chinese Emperor and remained in the Imperial Palace at Jehol (Rehe) until the early 20th century. Testament to the extraordinary craftsmanship and imagination behind the ornamental timepieces produced for the Chinese market, this George III musical automaton tower clock, set with extremely fine guilloche Geneva enamel panels, will be offered in the Treasures sale, along with other rare masterpieces of Decorative Arts drawn from the most prestigious collections in Europe.

Coming from the collection of a Swiss private collector, this masterpiece will appear for the first time at auction, with an estimate of £1-1.5 million (US$1,690,000-2,540,000). This magnificent clock, originally one of a pair, was initially owned by the Chinese emperors. It subsequently entered the collection of one of the sisters of the ‘Son of Heaven’.

Around 1913-1924, it was acquired in China by the great Swiss watch collector Gustave Loup (1876–1961) who was born in in Tientsin ( Tianjin) and was a fluent mandarin speaker. In 1938-39, Gustave Loup sold the clock to Jacques-David LeCoultre (1875-1948), director general of the watch company LeCoultre & Cie. Following Jacques-David’s death, the clock passed to his son, Roger LeCoultre, who sold it to the father of the present owner in 1953.