Important Collectors' Wristwatches, P...

Geneva, Hotel Noga Hilton, Oct 16, 2005

LOT 354

?La Colère d'Achille? Attributed to James Cox, London, circa 1765. Magnificent and extremely rare 20K gold, silver, ivory, enamel, ruby and emeraldset fan with a watch and a compartment containing a small mirror and the winding key, made for the Ch'ien Lung Imperial family (1736-1795), of the Ch'ing Dynasty. In a Chinese fitted box.

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Sold: CHF 115,000

Fan: Two-sided, frame with 16 ivory sticks. Down the length of each of the guardsticks is, within a diamond foliate design, a dragon chasing a snake made up entirely of emeralds and rubies. The edges of the sixteen closed sticks are jointly carved with two dragons, one on each side of the fan; when the fan is open, their pierced and carved floral and lattice decoration is dominated by two winged dragons. These have five claws on each foot, a decorative privilege restricted to the Chinese Imperiafamily. The paper leaf is painted with a scene adapted from a painting by Antoine Coypel (1661-1722) of a quarrel between Achilles and Agamemnon, which was engraved by Nicolas Tardieu with the title ?Colère d'Achille?. The central figure is Agamemnon, who had won a priest's daughter as a prize of war and then given her up, following the advice of the seer Calchas, who foresaw disaster. There was trouble anyway, as Agamemnon, to compensate for the loss, seized a slave-girl Briseis belonging to Ahilles. Agamemnon is pointing imperiously outside Achilles' tent who, although he has been omitted from this adaptation, has his hand on the sword he is about to draw. The reverse is also painted and has a landscape with a shepherdess on a donkey and a companion beside her. The fan pivot: with ruby-set bezels, is in gold and Imperial blue translucent champlevé enamel. The front contains the watch and the matching back has a moss agate in the centre covering a compartment containing a small mirror and the winding key. 354 James Cox -{329}- The watch: D. White enamel, Roman chapters, outer minute ring. Blued-steel ?heart and poker? hands. M. Oval, 21.2 x 19.6 mm., gilt brass full plate, cylindrical pillars, fusee and chain, verge escapement, plain brass three-arm balance, single-footed cock, pierced and engraved with asymmetrical foliage. Dim. height 280 mm, width 530 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3-21

Good

Period
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 2-01

Very good

HANDS Original

Notes

Published in the Sandberg book, pages 378-379. The case of the watch, together with the movement and the richness of the object are consistent with the work of James Cox. Judging from its magnificence, this fan was probably ordered and given as a present by the Ambassador of England. It was customary at the time for European ambassadors to present sumptuous gifts to the Emperor or the Imperial family in pursuit of commercial privileges and favours. James Cox (circa 1723 - 1800) Was the son of Henry Cox, a tailor. He became Free in 1745. In June 1745 he set up shop in Racquet Court, where he remained until 1756. In 1756 Cox entered into partnership with Edward Grace, moving to larger premises in Shoe Lane. However, Cox & Grace declared bankruptcy in November 1758. During the 1760s and early 1770s Cox became famous for luxurious musical and automaton clocks and watches, made of precious metals and studded with precious stones, destined particularly for the court of the Chinese Emperor James Cox died in Watford in early 1800 and was buried in the family vault in London's Bunhill Fields on February 26 of that year. We are indebted to Roger Smith for information contained in his article "James Cox (c.1723-1800): a revised biography", Burlington Magazine, June 2000. Also see Clare Le Corbeiller, James Cox: A biographical Review, Burlington Magazine, June 1970, v. 112 (May-Aug. 1970), p. 351-358.