A fine and very rare 'famille-rose' marbled-ground lantern vase and cover iron-red seal mark and period of Qianlong

the cylindrical body decorated with two large rectangular panels painted with particularly vivid enamels, depicting figures engaged in various pursuits amidst dwellings set beside a river running through dramatic mountainous landscape, the steep cliffs in hues of blue and green, with scattered trees and high peaks in the distance within a gilt border, all reserved on a ground enamelled in sepia and grisaille imitating marble, the foot and rim gilt, the inside neck and base enamelled in turquoise, reserving the six character seal mark in iron-red, the cover similarly decorated, surmounted by a gilt knop

Christie’s Hong Kong, 29^th April 2002, lot 566.

With the refinement of materials and craftsmanship and the expansion of the range of glaze and enamel colours during Qianlong's reign ceramic potters became highly ambitious in their repertoire. They were encouraged in this by the emperor who appears to have had a taste for ornamentation and show. Simulations of other materials such as wood, lacquer, bronze, marble, cloisonne and hardstone were produced that were difficult to separate from the 'real' and these pieces became trompe-l'oeil of ceramics.

A rare example of this type of imitative work is the present vase where the marble serves as a frame to the beautiful landscape painting.  Marble simulations are rare, and the combination of marbled ground and delicately painted landscape in famille rose enamels is extremely rare. The marble swirls can be compared with those on a Qianlong-marked archer’s ring from the National Palace Museum, Taiwan, illustrated in Sekai Toji Zenshu, vol. 15, Tokyo, 1983, pl. 232 left. See also an oviform vase with similar landscape design reserved against a marble ground sold in these rooms, 25^th April 2004, lot 55.