A George III monumental gilt-mounted ebony quarter striking musical automaton clock for the Chinese market, English, circa 1780

A George III monumental gilt-mounted ebony quarter striking musical automaton clock for the Chinese market, English, circa 1780

double sided with automaton scenes, the front with 5-inch enamel dial, centre seconds enclosing subsidiary dials for time, 1/5th seconds, date and age of the moon, flanked by two further enamel subsidiary dials indicating seven tunes each for the organ and bells, all surrounded by rotating flowers set with coloured pastes, the automaton scene below incorporating an extensive simulated waterfall and two tiers of parading figures in a rural landscape; the rear with a further automaton scene of a simulated waterfall and river with figures and carts crossing a bridge between two watermills, above a rural landscape pierced to reveal a further simulated waterfall (now lacking), the massive three-train chain fusee clock movement with deadbeat escapement, striking the hours on the top-mounted bell and quarter chiming on eight bells, playing one of seven tunes on a carillon of twelve bells, at the hour or at will, the backplate engraved with foliate scrolls and a bird; all mounted on a substantial brass mechanism containing two massive chain fusees driving all of the automaton features and a pipe organ with 8¼-inch brass cylinder pinned for seven tunes played on two ranks of fifteen pipes with two stops, the Louis XV-style waisted case surmounted by an automaton star and simulated water above a figure of Hercules striking the hour bell, the Cerberus at his feet, below a stepped plinth are four rotating figures in 18th century costume and to the four corners are two boys and two girls in fixed dancing poses, the foliate case mounts are linked by further sculptural mounts depicting music, the arts and masks and trellis side frets depicting Cupid and Psyche, the whole on bold scroll feet with applied dophins

148cm. high x 63cm. wide x 38cm. deep; 4ft. 10¼in. x 25in. x 15in.