Watch Charm Shines in Ancient China

Watch Traveling Report: As with the ancient history of five thousand years of civilization, China is not only in the long history of nurturing the development of various types of timers, and the art of watchmaking and the world also has deep roots, especially in countries such as watches and Switzerland is very closely linked. As early as a few hundred years ago, the Chinese had agreed the West watches as embodied in the manufacture of traditional values and cultural tastes. For many people, the clocks has become a blend of traditional craftsmanship and innovative technology of art.

China's early timer

As early as 2357-2258 BC, during the years of Emperor Yao, the Chinese appeared in the original timer - "Tu Gui", these have been documented in China, "Shang Shuyao Code" in the.

"Tu Gui" is a vertical pole in the ground to observe the sun shadow cast rod, through its mobile law, and winter to determine the time the summer solstice. However, due to "Tugui" the construction of simple and easy to master, it was gradually developed into the "sundial" and was used to determine the season, the projected calendar, and played an important role in agricultural production.

Another common timer is "sundial", also known as the "sundial device." Its working principle and the "sundial", are primarily determined based on the position of shadow or engraved at the hour the number of the more commonly used in ancient China timer. Apart from the above projection and orientation through the time the sun's "solar clock", there are even water flow caused by water level changes to show the time of the "water bell", also known as the "missing moment" or "Spot"; also with burning joss sticks to measure the time of the "fire bell" and so on.

The second century, the Eastern Han Zhang Heng scientists produced "water armillary sphere", gave birth to the emergence of early mechanical clock. After Han Lu Ji, Wu Wang Fan, Heng Ge, Northern and Southern Song fun money, Suichu Geng exercise all have been manufactured with a timing device of the armillary sphere.

AD 725, the line and the beam such that chan made "water armillary sphere," and Song Xun Zhang astronomers created a "hydraulic armillary sphere" has developed a timing device. In the year 1088-1090, Su Song and Han Gonglian, who created a "water-like Taiwan," and this great technology already has some of the timer escapement, so it clocks in the world history of the development status is extremely important.

Light leak copies of the Ming Palace Panorama

After the Yuan Dynasty astronomer Guo Shou-jing in the year 1276 created a "light leakage Daming Temple", the time from the initial part of the astronomical instruments. Yuan and early Ming Zhan Xi made the use of gear rotation and the "five rounds of the hourglass", which has a complex and time gear set, pointer, etc. you can say the structure has been and is very similar to the modern clock.

Watch the way the Western missionary

Across Central Asia, contact the traffic road Europe and Asia - the "Silk Road" is a historic international channels through which the trail, the ancient Chinese culture, Indian culture, Persian and Arabic cultures and ancient Greece and Roman culture link greatly facilitated the exchange of Eastern and Western civilizations.

AD 1498, the famous Portuguese navigator da Gama (Vasco da Gama) found a new route leading to the East India, East and West make up the trade began to increase, in which Portugal, France, Britain and other countries of the merchants and Turkey, India and China, spices, textiles and other materials in the trade.

With the geographical discovery and the opening of the East-West route, but also aroused the European Christian missionary enthusiasm to the East, beginning from about 1540, the Holy See and the various sects to the West continue to try to preach to the Chinese mainland, but how it able to open the door to China was closed to it? Among them, the western watches to play an important role.

In order to get the Chinese people, especially the recognition of local officials, missionaries, Western gift items as a breakthrough, and these include the clock. To China to watch the first is the western Italian Jesuit missionary Ruggieri (Michel Ruggieri), and the first large-scale clock is introduced to China in 1583 as a gift, through Macau by the Ruggieri, who gave the then Governor of Guangdong and Guangxi Chen Rui .

In order to adapt to the Chinese habit to give Chen Rui Ruggieri tells the time in the display system to do some adjustments, such as: the European mechanical clocks turn clockwise laps of the 24-hour day system to a 12-day revolution when the system and the display panel of the Roman numerals are changed to use the characters that the name of the twelve Earthly Branches.

Daming Temple light leakage time, timekeeping section

To 1601, the Italian priest Matteo (Matteo Ricci) of Emperor dedicated to two minutes: one is a great chime clock; other is inscribed with decorative patterns of Chinese-style clock, which are winning the hearts and minds of the court. Wanli emperor clock not only under its western side, but also to show others these items from the Kit Kat foreign land, and allow the Ricci and others living in the capital, a missionary.

It is through the western watches strange objects presented, presentation, Western missionaries resolved to some extent, the Chinese people for their psychological defenses, and that these early missionaries for the Chinese side in the manufacture of watches and clocks, also played a certain role in promoting because it was their close relationship with the officials and the court, not only teach the principle of measuring the time and knowledge to China, while the emperor sent people to study and watch components in particular the role, principles and adjustment, and maintenance methods.

If the "Silk Road" in Chinese and Western trade exchange is a critical path, then the Western missionaries is based on the intangible "Watch the Road" began the exchange between Chinese and Western cultures.

The development of clocks in the Qing Dynasty

The Qing period, those in power is interesting as the mechanical clock and the sophisticated stuff, and use them as look gorgeous, quaint decorations for the display and use. Some of them presented through the diplomatic mission or the courtiers of the proceeds into the offer; either directly through the customs of trade, to buy James Cox, Jaquet-Droz, Ilbery, Piguet & Meylan, Rochat Frres company's products such as watches and clocks; and some are hired Watches Carpenter in the palace of the "do bell at the" own manufacture, including many western watch craftsmen, such as: Franois-Louis Stadlin ,1658-1740, Valentin Chalier ,1697-1747, Gilles Thbault ,1703-1776, Jean-Mathieu de Ventarvon ,1733-1787


Palace of the watch is divided into test clocks, watches and clocks and stuff. Relatively simple test, watches and clocks, mainly to the table set in a fixed device, such as: dressing with mirror, rouge boxes, music boxes, fan fall, hat racks, cages, flower table and so on. Watch stuff when not only the role of experience, but also make full use of mechanical devices and interactive agencies. One of the most common are the "Water Law" and "turn Flowers", the former is a clockwork driven, through a series of mechanical linkage to drive one or a few transparent glass rod with a spiral pattern, formed by the rapid rotation of the water , fountains, waterfalls and other forms; the latter refers to the flowers can be inserted in the activities of small steel columns, if the steel columns driven gears rotate, then the flowers also will rotate.


There is also "run" and "beasts" and other stuff, watch type, the principle is to people, animals and other connected with the chain from the gears turn, when the chain rotation, when man and beast will be formed to run or walk, etc. scene. In addition, in the south and the Yangtze River in the vicinity of Guangzhou, Suzhou, Nanjing, Yangzhou and other places have gradually emerged clocks. One representative is the "Su-clock" and "wide bell."

Sue Bell is a real sense of their own production by the Chinese clock, so the design has a traditional oriental culture, the Soviet Union as a clock to ancient Chinese art of Decoration of the table plaque applied to the exterior styling, and added a simple and elegant taste, improve their ornamental value, it has also been a "table plaque clock" reputation. Its internal mechanical parts are all hand-made, in particular, around the clock face is gold-filled engraving on a variety of life-like etching patterns, makes memorable, fully embodies the wisdom and craftsmanship was superb craftsmanship, whole minutes can be divided into three parts - base, table plaque blocks, chassis. They are usually formed by wood carving, mosaic inlaid with mother and some also to enhance their own value, depending on the age also appeared in the Ming style, fine carving, pierced carving, and other styles.

Wide bell shape mostly for construction, with houses, kiosks, Taiwan, pavilions, towers and so on. Some of the magnificent clock shell of copper plated materials; some colorful enamel copper tires. Decoration in the shape of more than a "peaceful event," "good luck" theme, and some meaning to the expression of the traditional scene content, such as: "Gods", "Dragon and Phoenix" and so on. Each clock can be said that the exact timing is not only a tool, and is pleasing mechanical devices.　

Article Source: http://www.travelinginfos.com

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