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拍品专文
This exceptional heart-shaped watch with two automatons and two concealed painted enamel erotic scenes is one of the most important and celebrated erotic watches to survive from the 18th century. Furthermore, it has remained in incredible condition. Made and signed by the creative genius James Cox, the present watch had for many years resided in one of the world’s best and now legendary collections of watches, owned by Lord Sandberg CBE (1927-2017), former chairman of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank. His collection was sold in a landmark auction in Geneva in 2001.
The entire object celebrates the art of love, from the heart shape of the case and movement to the twin diamond-set automaton windmills on the exquisitely painted heart-shaped enamel dial. The intertwined leaves and ribbons and ruby-set bezel all speak of love. The most fascinating aspect is the three enamel scenes decorating the case which are remarkably well preserved. The back cover depicts the young couple in a landscape, he playing the bagpipes to woo his shepherdess lover. Cleverly concealed beneath the back cover are two further finely painted enamel scenes of an erotic nature. A watch such as this would have been incredibly expensive when it was made and was almost certainly intended for the Chinese market. Very few watches by the celebrated James Cox of this quality, subject and condition are ever seen on the open market. Now offered here for the first time in over 20 years, collectors are presented with the opportunity to obtain one of the most fascinating and important 18th century erotic watches.
JAMES COX
James Cox (c.1723-1800) of 103 Shoe Lane, London, is most famous for the elaborate musical and automata clocks that he exported to China and other countries, some of which were displayed from 1772 to 1775 in his Spring Gardens Museum. Cox was a gifted jeweller, clock and automaton manufacturer and entrepreneur. Between 1766-1772 he made and exported objets d'art to the value of £750,000. Some of these articles were very large, as can be seen by numerous clocks from the former Imperial Collection now in the Palace Museum Beijing, the great Peacock automaton in the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, and the Silver Swan automaton now in the Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle.
The entire object celebrates the art of love, from the heart shape of the case and movement to the twin diamond-set automaton windmills on the exquisitely painted heart-shaped enamel dial. The intertwined leaves and ribbons and ruby-set bezel all speak of love. The most fascinating aspect is the three enamel scenes decorating the case which are remarkably well preserved. The back cover depicts the young couple in a landscape, he playing the bagpipes to woo his shepherdess lover. Cleverly concealed beneath the back cover are two further finely painted enamel scenes of an erotic nature. A watch such as this would have been incredibly expensive when it was made and was almost certainly intended for the Chinese market. Very few watches by the celebrated James Cox of this quality, subject and condition are ever seen on the open market. Now offered here for the first time in over 20 years, collectors are presented with the opportunity to obtain one of the most fascinating and important 18th century erotic watches.
JAMES COX
James Cox (c.1723-1800) of 103 Shoe Lane, London, is most famous for the elaborate musical and automata clocks that he exported to China and other countries, some of which were displayed from 1772 to 1775 in his Spring Gardens Museum. Cox was a gifted jeweller, clock and automaton manufacturer and entrepreneur. Between 1766-1772 he made and exported objets d'art to the value of £750,000. Some of these articles were very large, as can be seen by numerous clocks from the former Imperial Collection now in the Palace Museum Beijing, the great Peacock automaton in the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, and the Silver Swan automaton now in the Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle.