This magnificent pair of rare Chinese ormolu bronze automaton clocks from the Guangzhou Workshop sold for more than $600,000, well over their high estimate.

OAKLAND, CALIF. — Attracting a great deal of global presale interest and excitement at Clars Auction Gallery was a magnificent pair of rare Chinese ormolu bronze automaton clocks from the Guangzhou Workshop, which resulted in the top lot of the entire sale. The clocks came to the sale with an estimate of $200/400,000 and bidding opened at $100,000. It didn’t stay there long as competing bidders on phones, internet and the floor battled to the finish where the pair of clocks sold for an impressive $600,000. “This extremely rare pair of matching Chinese automaton clocks was originally presented to a local Chinese family as a gift in the 1920s and fortunately had never been separated,” said Deric Torres, the firm’s vice president for decorative arts and furnishings. “This, along with the fact that this was the first time a pair of clocks such as these surfaced in America, added to their already significant value.”

The overall selection of fine art, decorative art, furnishings, jewelry and Asian art, as anticipated, turned out to be one of the firm’s most important sales. Global bidding was seen on the property offered from significant estates and private collections and numerous lots went well over presale expectations. In total, the sale realized $2.4 million. In a comment after the sale, the firm’s president Redge Martin remarked, “It was a very strong sale across the board and we experienced a lot of enthusiastic participants on all platforms.”

Watch for a full report to follow.