Clockwork treasures

2 min read

Through History

A new exhibition showcases a selection of elaborate timepieces from China’s Forbidden City

ZIMINGZHONG MADE IN CHINA AND BRITAIN

The office of self-ringing bells, or the Zimingzhongchu, made elements of zimingzhong in the Forbidden City that had to be approved by the Emperor. This clock, though Britishmade, is adorned with decorations that are believed to have been made by the Zimingzhongchu. Zimingzhong with parts from China and Britain ©The Palace Museum

From as early as the 1580s, the commodity of clocks began to make their way from the Western world into China. These objects of both beauty and functionality, made in Europe, were given the name zimingzhong meaning “self-sounding bells” or “bells that ring themselves” by China’s emperors. Used to tell the time, as well as mechanically moving and playing music, British merchants referred to these magnificent timepieces as “sing-songs”.

Now in a new exhibition at the Science Museum in London, visitors can trace the journey of zimingzhong in the 18th century from the port of Guangzhou right into the heart of the Forbidden City.

Of the 23 zimingzhong clocks on display at the Science Museum, all are on loan from the Palace Museum in Beijing and have never been displayed together before in the UK. Throughout the exhibition, visitors can learn about the earliest of these clockwork treasures, taken to China as imperial gifts by missionaries, and the collection of the Kangxi Emperor (1662- 1722) who saw them as a representation of the emperor’s mastery of time and the heavens. The importance in the utility of these beautifully designed timepieces is also explored, as are themes such as international trade, cultural exchange and the actual mechanics of the clocks themselves.

ZIMINGZHONG WITH ARMILLARY SPHERE

Approximately dating from between 1760 and 1795, this small zimingzhong is accompanied by its original case. The zimingzhong itself is topped with a little armillary sphere, an ancient mathematical device used to study the movement of the stars and planets. Zimingzhong with Armillary Sphere and Original Case ©The Palace Museum

MOVING PAGODA

Made in London during the era of the Qing Dynasty in the 1700s, this pagoda-style zimingzhong measures at over a metre tall. Each of the nine tiers mechanically rise and fall, as showcased in an accompanying video in the exhibition. Moving Pagoda Zimingzhong ©The Palace Museum

TWO CULTURES

Dating from the early 1800s, this zimingzhong features mechanisms made in both Europe and Guangzhou.

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All About History Magazine

18 April 2024

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