Some of the most intricately decorated clocks ever made in Britain have returned to London for the first time since they were sent to the palaces of Chinese emperors centuries ago.
The emperor of China wanted it to track time on Earth and the movements of celestial bodies above, at a time when British clocks were the best clocks in the world. However, no matter how accurate it was, a simple watch was not suitable for an emperor, so he chose something flashy.
Lots of glitter.
These automatons, with huge decorative carvings covered in gold and precious stones and often operated by clockwork mechanisms, became known as Zimingzhong, or “self-ringing bells.” I did.
The new exhibition at the Science Museum will be the first time that the Zimingzhong collection, which is currently housed in the Forbidden City, Beijing’s Palace Museum, will be exhibited in its entirety in the UK.
When exhibiting watches, the purpose is not the watches themselves. A clock is just a small part of a larger automaton unit. The charm of this place is the luxurious decoration that shows the outstanding craftsmanship.
Each Shimeichu is displayed in its own glass case, so you can walk around each one and admire not only the front but also the back. There were also some that had paper prints pasted on the back.
Naturally, the room is decorated in a Chinese style, with the main room lined with small clocks and the large clock at the far end, not unlike a Chinese court where the emperor’s attendants sit. It felt like.
The Clock Room is filled with the sound of bells and clockwork, but the Ziming Bell itself is not working, as it would take a lot of effort to repair the clock mechanism and keep it functioning.
But that does not add much to this spectacle, a display of extraordinary decorative richness, much of it made here in the UK.
The Zimingzhong on display date from 1662 to 1795, when Emperor Jiaqing declared them a frivolous waste of money and trade declined. Now, some 230 years after the emperor lost interest in them, we Britons can see what our ancestors kept busy with for the emperor.
The exhibition “Zimingzhong 黚旚連: The Clockwork Treasures of China’s Forbidden City” will be held at the Science Museum until Sunday, June 2, 2024.
It’s also a very affordable exhibition as the minimum ticket price is £1 per person and you can pay what you want to go.
