A MAGNIFICENT BEIJING ENAMEL YELLOW-GROUND 'DRAGON AND PHOENIX' TIERED VESSEL, COVER AND STAND MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG

the vessel comprising two compartments and decorated vibrantly with bright enamels against a yellow ground, the lower body with rounded sides tapering to a short foot, the exterior painted with a frieze enclosing four blue coiled phoenix medallions alternating with four stylised floral scrolls, above bands of aster scrolls and upright petal lappets, the footrim skirted with a key-fret band, the upper tier with a gilt-bronze scrollwork band, below an enamelled frieze of phoenix medallions and elaborately rendered floral scrolls, further decorated with four evenly spaced gilt-bronze archaistic scroll handles with everted flanges extending over the lower tier, the rounded stepped cover detailed with bands of ruyi blooms, soaring kui dragons, flowering blossoms and key-fret designs, all surrounding a central gilt-bronze finial cast in the form of a stylised lotus bud, the interior of the vessel enamelled turquoise, the white base centred with a blue four-character reign mark within a double square, all supported on a stand with a lobed top resting on a constricted waist and a swelling cusped apron extending into four cabriole legs atop a circular stretcher, the top picked out with a stylised floral scroll and bordered with a key-fret band on the straight sides, the constricted waist with a delicate classic scroll border, all above the apron with large lotus blooms borne on meandering leafy stems, the base enamelled turquoise

Collection of Paavo Juho Hynninen (1883-1960), former Finnish diplomat and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The set is in overall good condition. There are small areas of restoration, including a restored area of approx. 2.5 cm above a few short restored cracks to the cover, another restored area of approx. 1 by 1.7 cm to the upper compartment with flanges (far right of the main view), and a further retouched vertical stripe near one phoenix roundel of the bottom compartment (to the left of the main view). The turquoise enamel on the undersides of the vessel shows typical shrinkage, with some retouching. There are also some expected wear to the gilding and minor dents to the extremities.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

By the 18th century, the technique of enamelling on metal reached its peak, reflecting the high standards of court artists employed by the Enamelling Workshop and the luxurious taste of the Qianlong Emperor as seen in the present piece. Both the form and decoration of this vessel have been rendered with utmost skill and attention, with every element sensitively detailed from the lobed form of the stand and thin band of decoration that has been cast in relief. Furthermore the carefully delineated and coloured motif combining phoenix roundels with lotus scrolls combine to result in an exceptionally rare and extravagant piece.

The versatility of metalware enabled craftsmen to produce a myriad of different forms as the material could be manipulated in a way beyond that of porcelain. Thus, metal-bodied wares are eclectic in form and decoration: unique and innovative but with the same sense of imperial grandeur, often through the prolific use of yellow. Furthermore, the fine combination of expertly executed Western-inspired painting with gilt polished bands create an exoticism consistent with the Western-style palaces that such objects are likely to have furnished. Compare two wide tiered bowls, similarly composed of bands of floral decoration, the body further adorned with alternating panels of puce and coloured bird and flower designs, the stand of similar form but of cloisonné enamel, with Qianlong marks and of the period, published in The Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum. Enamels, vol. 5, Painted Enamels in the Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, pls. 150 and 151, together with a ‘European Subject’ vase and cover on a stand, pl. 148.

See also a Qianlong mark and period Beijing enamel cup and cover decorated in a similar style against a yellow ground, sold in these rooms, 30th October 2002, lot 208, and again at Christie’s Hong Kong, 27th November 2007, lot 1699; and various cups and saucers, also from the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated op. cit., pls. 83, 85-86, 188-190, together with a covered bowl with lobed saucer, pl. 124.

This rare vessel, possibly commissioned for imperial use as a warmer for food, either for ritual offerings, or more likely for personal use, is a successful synthesis of classical Chinese taste and Western decorative technique and palette. Its design of lotus scrolls and dragon and phoenix are some of the most iconic motifs in the Chinese decorative repertoire. The method in which the foliate scrolls have been painted, with curling fronds and acanthus-style leaves, display the influence of the Western aesthetic. Furthermore, with the introduction of white enamel through the Jesuit missionaries, a lighter lemon yellow tone could be produced. As yellow is the only colour that has direct imperial association, the richer imperial yellow tone was reserved exclusively for porcelain wares created for ritual ceremonies; thus lemon yellow provided the court with an alternative for daily use. First developed on metal-bodied wares during the Kangxi period, a similar coloured glaze was achieved for porcelain during the Yongzheng period.

The technique used for enamelling on metal-bodied ware was introduced in Guangzhou by Jesuit missionaries around 1684, when the ban on overseas trade was lifted. Guangzhou artists had been most immediately exposed to wares from Europe and had mastered the technical skills of enamel painting earlier than those working in the Palace Workshop in Beijing. In the 58th year of the Kangxi reign (1719), the French missionary and enamel specialist, Jean-Baptiste Gravereau, also known as Chen Zhongxin, was sent to Beijing by the Viceroy of Guangdong to teach enamelling techniques to craftsmen working in the Palace Workshops (see the catalogue to the exhibition Treasures from Guangdong to the Qing Court, Art Gallery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1987, p. 54). Guangzhou artists continued to be recruited in large numbers during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor, who appears to have taken a keen interest in this art form. According to Palace records, the Emperor would test the skills of recruits by requesting each of them to produce a painted snuff bottle, which he would later examine. If the product was deemed suitable the artist would be accepted to work in the Palace Workshops (see Yang Boda, ‘The Palace Workshops and Imperial Kilns. Snuff Bottles of Emperor Qianlong’, Arts of Asia, vol. 26, no. 5, 1996, p. 66).