清嘉慶 綠地粉彩纏枝蓮托八吉祥紋五供一套 《大清嘉慶年製》款

comprising a tripod censer raised on three cabriole legs set with curved upright handles and later carved and pierced wood cover with jade finial; a pair of gu-form beaker vases with flared necks above globular center sections supported on bell-shaped bases; and a pair of candlesticks with small drip-pans supported on tapering columns above larger drip-trays; all finely painted in famille-rose enamels with the Buddhist ‘Eight Auspicious Emblems’, surrounded by stylized lotus blossoms borne on foliate scrolls between decorative borders and gilt edges, the interiors enameled turquoise, the six-character horizontal seal marks in iron-red, wood stands (11)

Edward H. Bennett（1874-1954）收藏，此後家族傳承

All five vessels in excellent condition, with only very faint surface wear and minor rubbing to gilding, as consistent with age. The candlesticks with faint horizontal scratches beneath the drip trays. The wood stands and wood and jade cover for the censer all in good general condition.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The present five-piece altar garniture is a fine example of the wares created for one of the ancestral halls. During the Qing dynasty the production of outstanding furnishings for the Buddhist temples and halls became an important undertaking by the Palace Workshops and the Imperial kilns as they were commissioned by the court. Altar garnitures were made to be placed in official sites such as the Temple of Ancestors and the Hall of Ancestors in the Forbidden City, and in non-official halls including the Shouhuangdian located in Jinshin, the park that lay immediately north of the Shenwu gate within the grounds of the Imperial Palace. While state ancestral halls featured Nurgaci (the dynastic founder) as the primary object of worship, halls such as the Shouhuangdian functioned as the imperial equivalent of a family ancestral hall for the descendants of Qianlong where his grandfather, the Kangxi emperor, was the primary object of worship. Non-state halls of worship were also used for domestic ritual performances conducted by Imperial family members.

Altar garniture sets of this type were first created during the reign of the Qianlong emperor, who was a devout Buddhist and practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism and in whose footsteps Jiaqing closely followed. While many offerings and ritual objects were placed on altars, such garnitures were essential. The censer was the most important vessel and placed centrally, flanked by the candlesticks and vases at either end. After lighting incense and saying prayers the incense was placed in the censer, not only for the fragrance to fill the air but also to carry the prayers skyward. The censer therefore served as the vessel which facilitated communication with deities or ancestors. The light from the flame of the candles represented the offering of light to dispel the darkness of ignorance, while flowers were offered for their beauty as well as a reminder of impermanence.

Jiaqing mark and period green-ground vessels which probably formed part of a set include a censer sold in these rooms, 18th/19th March 2014, lot 486; a pair of gu beaker vases, also sold in these rooms, 20th March 2012, lot 92; and another gu vase sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 23rd October 2005, lot 440. Green-ground garnitures were produced under various Qing emperors; see a smaller Qianlong mark and period set, illustrated in Anthony du Boulay, Christie’s Pictorial History of Chinese Ceramics, Oxford, 1984, p. 248, pl. 4; and two Daoguang mark and period garnitures, one of similar size sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 31st October 1995, lot 536, and again in our London rooms, 17th December 1996, lot 163; and a larger set sold at Christie’s New York, 1st December 1983, lot 525.

Such garnitures were also produced in a range of decorative styles; for example see a complete Jiaqing set, but of slightly smaller size and decorated on a yellow ground, in the Nanjing Museum, illustrated in The Official Kiln Porcelain of the Chinese Qing Dynasty, Shanghai, 2003, p. 374; a Qianlong mark and period set of larger size, but decorated in the doucai palette, from the Meiyintang collection, illustrated in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol. 4, London, 2010, pl. 1752, and sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 4th April 2012, lot 50; and another set decorated with a mille-fleur design, sold in these rooms, 29th March 2011, lot 61.