A watch-mounted gilt-metal, paste, verre églomisé and agate casket, Chinese last quarter 18th century

opening to a verre églomisé panel and loose gilt-metal tray stamped with a Chinese character; the watch movement signed Raelle / Paris.  The case most probably originally fitted with a musical movement.

Very good condition; retaining the original gilding and pastes and agate; Most probably originally fitted with a musical movement to the casket, which is now lacking. The right side gilt-metal panel is slightly loose and is in need of being put back into place; the underside with some solder to pierced fret work as a small soldered repair; the dial in very good condition but lacking its hour hand and glass dome; the reverse-painted glass scene to the underside of the cover in very good condition with a very minor loss to paint at bottom left corner.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
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The present casket mounted with a French watch movement circa 1780, and fitted with a verre églomisé panel was most probably fitted with a musical movement to the interior as it has a hole to the back probably to access the winder as well as a hole to one of the concave canted corners, possibly for a pull release.  The pierced foliate panel to the underside also suggests that the casket housed a musical movement so that the sound could escape.

The present casket is very similar to a group of caskets which have been identified as both English and Chinese including a pair of caskets which are mounted in agate (Howard, op. cit. cat. No. 307, p. 226) and a single one in the collection of the Palace Museum in the Forbidden City, which has an additional base and fitted musical interior (The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, op. cit.,  cat no. 186, p. 211).  It is mostly like that they caskets were all made in the last quarter of the 18th century.  Considering the taste in Europe at this time was for neoclassical style things, the use of rococo as well as neoclassical motifs intermingled with some Chinese decorations assumes that the caskets were probably made for the Chinese market and not for export to Europe, especially when one considers the similar style of the magnificent automata clocks and objects including an almost identical casket with musical works found in the Imperial Collection.  Furthermore, whilst these pieces are in the manner of James Cox (Smith, op. cit., pp. 353-361), the quality and handling of the materials does not appear to be English or European.  Therefore, it is possible to conclude that these pieces were made in China for the Chinese market possibly imitating some of the most exquisite pieces by Cox executed in agate, ormolu and gold.

See:

Clare Le Corbeiller, 'James Cox: a Biographical Review,' The Burlington Magazine, Vo. 112, No. 807, June 1970

David S. Howard, A Tale of Three Cities, Canton, Shanghai & Hong Kong, Sotheby's, London, 1997

Roger Smith, 'James Cox (c.1723-1800): A Revised Biography,' The Burlington Magazine, Vol. 142, No. 1167, June, 2000

Scientific and Technical Instruments of the Qing Dynasty, The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 1998