Chinese Automatons. Accounts of automatons in China date from as early as the 3rd century BCE, during the Han dynasty, when a mechanical orchestra was made for the emperor. By the Sui dynasty, in the 6th and 7th centuries CE, automatons had become widespread, and a book titled Shuishi tujing (“Book of Hydraulic Elegancies”) was published. In the Tang period, from the 7th to the 10th century CE, automatons continued to be popular in imperial circles. There are records of flying birds, an otter that caught fish, and figures engaged in numerous activities ranging from a monk begging to girls singing. Reference: Britannica.
Below are some examples and price guides of Chinese automatons including a gilt bronze automaton clock and a fishing boy with his catch.
A CHINESE GILT BRONZE, RHINESTONE, AND GLASS AUTOMATON CLOCK
Second half 20th century
Signed Ying Qing C.
height 32in (81cm); width 16 1/2in (42cm); depth 13 1/2in (34cm)
Sold for S$31,562.50 inc. premium at Bonham’s in 2020
AN IMPERIAL CHINESE ORMOLU, PASTE-SET PAINTED ENAMEL AND ALABASTER AUTOMATON ‘FISHING BOY AND HIS CATCH’ WITH CLOCKWORK MECHANISMS
GUANGZHOU WORKSHOPS, QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795)
AUTOMATON: the figure has an alabaster head carved and painted with a sweet expression, with bright eyes and a broad smile below hair worn in two topknots tied with red ribbons, and supported on a carved wood body dressed in a short orange silk jacket with gold braid on the sleeves and fastened at the neck and side with a small gilt-bronze button, over a pair of beige silk pants, and an embroidered shoe, the figure balanced on one knee while holding a bamboo fishing pole in his right hand and a catch basket in his left
Sold for USD 319,500 at Christie’s in 2017
A Chinese export French-style automaton clock
Early 20th century
Signed to mechanism: Cheon S’Nag Comton
Painted and enameled face with Roman numeral hour markers set in a decorative case with pineapple finial, mechanized leaves, tiered rotating figural merchant and animal scenes on four elaborate scrolled feet
Clock: 34″ H x 12.75″ W x 8.5″ D
Sold for US$34,375 at John Moran Auctioneers, Inc. in 2023
Very Rare Chinese ‘Legend of the White Snake’ Automaton
Painted wood, papier maché, enamel, silk and metal in three wood and glass casements raised on a later Hongmu wood stand; fitted with moving figures and animals amongst pavilions in landscapes.
Sold for US$18,000 at STAIR in 2022
SCARCE 19TH C. CARVED WOOD CHINESE AUTOMATON HEAD OF AN ACTOR
Carved and painted wood with inset glass eyes and what was a reticulated mouth but is now fixed in place, in remnants of red paint, used in the theatre and opera, on metal museum display stand, 10″ tall head only, roughly 15″ x 9″ x 8″ overall, well used.
Sold for US$550 at Thomaston Place Auction Galleries in 2022
