Property from a West Coast Private Collection
A rare cloisonné enamel 'taotie' tripod censer and cover, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period | 清乾隆 銅胎掐絲琺瑯仿古紋鳳耳三足大蓋爐
Auction Closed
March 17, 08:20 PM GMT
Estimate
60,000 - 80,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
A rare cloisonné enamel 'taotie' tripod censer and cover
Qing dynasty, Qianlong period
清乾隆 銅胎掐絲琺瑯仿古紋鳳耳三足大蓋爐
the turquoise-ground globular body narrowing at the shoulder to an upright neck and galleried rim, the widest part of the body set with an elaborate pair of gilt-bronze phoenix-form handles, all supported on three gilt-bronze cabriole legs attached to the body by makara heads, each leg with two vertical cloisonné panels of polychrome lotus scroll against a turquoise ground, the densely patterned body dominated by large pendent lappets enclosing royal-blue taotie masks suspended at the sides, gilt keyfret and polychrome lotus scrolls meandering between the lappets, all below a band of taotie masks at the shoulder, lotus scrolls at the neck, and gilt keyfret in relief at the rim, the domed cover with scrolling lotus interspersed with ruyi-form cartouches and surmounted by a large openwork gilt-bronze finial in the form of dragons amidst clouds (2)
Height 19 ¼ in., 48.9 cm
Gump's, San Francisco, 1980s.
來源
Gump's，舊金山，1980年代
The present piece relates to a group of covered censers of various sizes, unified by the overall form of a globular body on cabriole makara legs, two scrolled chilong handles, and a domed cover surmounted by an openwork finial. The phoenix handles of the present lot are rare amongst this group. The vessel form is derived from archaic bronze ding of the Shang and Zhou periods which were ritual food containers. However, this model has been transformed into a censer and is fitted with an elaborate cover, handles and makara legs to cater to the extravagant taste of the Qing Court.
A Qianlong period cloisonné enamel censer of related shape is illustrated in Sir Harry Garner, Chinese and Japanese Cloisonne Enamels, London, 1962, pl. 70. Another censer of this form, but with the usual cabriole legs replaced by three long-legged cranes, from the Qing Court Collection and still in Beijing, was included in the exhibition China: The Three Emperors, The Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2006, cat. no. 304. Compare a related censer with peach sprays sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 11th April 2008, lot 2807; and another with archaic jades and peony scroll designs was sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 30th May 2005, lot 1285.