Black lacquer painted pavilions with immortal birthday bells

[Black Lacquer Colored Pavilion Group Immortal Birthday Bell]

Black Lacquer Colored Pavilion Group Immortal Birthday Bell has a height of 185 centimeters, a face width of 102 centimeters, and a side width of 70 centimeters
This clock is modeled as a two-story pavilion with wooden body, black paint, and colored painting. The center of the first floor is a double needle clock, and the clock dial with the inscription “Made in Qianlong” is decorated with the unique yellow enamel of the manufacturing office. The five upper chord holes on the clock dial control five functions: travel time, time reporting, engraving, door opening and closing, and playing music. On the left and right sides of the clock dial are variable scenery boxes. The performance theme of the left scenery box is “Adding Funds to the Sea”, and the performance theme of the right scenery box is “Group Immortals Wishing Birthday”. The second floor has three houses, each with a time reporter. Every 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock, the door opens, and three people walk slowly out with a bell bowl in hand. After standing still, the person on the left knocks the bell bowl and makes a “ding” sound, while the person on the right knocks the bell bowl and makes a “ding” sound. The “ding” sound sounds a quarter of an hour at a time, two quarters of an hour at a time, and so on. After four quarters of an hour, the person in the middle knocks the bell bowl and tells the time. After the time is announced, the music starts to sound, and the moving devices in the scene box begin to operate. In the left view box, among the mountains and barriers, there are cranes standing proudly. The immortal with auspicious clouds slowly rises, and a Qionglou in the sea of clouds suddenly rises. The longevity star on the stick in the right view box is receiving the treasures presented by the Eight Immortals in turn. “Le stop, report the time and people will return to the door, the building door will be closed, and all moving devices in the scenery box will be reset.”
This clock has a total of 7 mechanical systems, which respectively control the travel time, time reporting, and moving devices in the scenery box, and has a fairly high technical level. During the reign of Qianlong, a group of Western watchmakers and mechanics with professional knowledge gathered at the clock making office. This clock can reflect their level. The project file of the Manufacturing Office recorded the production time and process of this clock, which lasted for more than five years from the acceptance of the design in December of the eighth year of Qianlong’s reign to the completion of the first month of the fourteenth year