Beschreibung:

A MAGNIFICENT IMPERIAL JEWELLED GILT-BRONZE ELEPHANT CLOCK QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD THIS IS A PREMIUM LOT. CLIENTS WHO WISH TO BID ON PREMIUM LOTS ARE REQUESTED TO COMPLETE THE PREMIUM LOT PRE-REGISTRATION 3 WORKING DAYS PRIOR TO THE SALE. the elephant naturalistically modelled standing four-square upon ornamental rocks, its head inclined to one side, with its trunk terminating in a ruyi and flanked by two carved tusks, the body intricately and masterfully decorated with thousands of minute seed pearls, caparisonned with an ornate gilt-bronze saddle cloth draped over its back, richly embellished with carved pieces of jadeite and ruby, and bordered by a band of alternating red glass gems and seed pearls, adorned across the body with bejewelled garlands studded with red glass and silver beads from which delicate beads of coral and green glass gems hang down, supporting on its back a gilt vase filled with various finely carved flowers in rock crystal, chalcedony, turquoise, mother-of-pearl, coral and other hardstones and gilt leaves, fitted with a circular watch signed Jas Bedlake London enclosed by a ring of red glass gems, the gilt-bronze vase intricately carved on each side with leafy scrolling stems embellished with lapis-lazuli, coral and other multi-coloured hardstones in the form of double-gourds and bats, with borders of red and green glass gems, the elegant rectangular pedestal superbly cast in European Baroque style with a pierced balustrade and a rim of alternating clear and red glass gems, the sides intricately reticulated and embellished with florets in red, blue and green glass, with moulded columns at the corners, all above a pierced foliate apron and finely cast acanthus legs height 71.3 cm., 28 in. width 31.3 cm., 12 3/8 in.