Paire d'oiseaux en bronze doré et émaux cloisonnés Chine, Dynastie Qing, Epoque Qianlong (1736-1795)

représentant des pies, la tête tournée vers le côté, le regard alerte, le bec ouvert, laissant apparaître la langue, une longue queue dressée, le plumage d'une belle couleur beige et rose, avec des rehauts de noir sur les ailes, les pattes en bronze doré posées sur un perchoir en forme de T en émaux cloisonnés, délicatement décoré de fleurs et rinceaux stylisés, sur un fond bleu turquoise, posé sur une monture signée F. Barbedienne (1824-1903)

The blue ground on the cloisonné stands is slightly more turqoise/clear sky blue than the illustration would suggest. The colour of the birds is one or two degree less purple, tending more toward the pink. One with an old restoration to the feathers above its head approx 1 x 1cm (showing on the illustration in the catalogue). The Barbedienne base showing signs of age and wear beneath are dating from the XIXth century
"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."

The present pair of cloisonné and gilt-bronze figure of magpies belongs to a small group of animal figures that were much favoured for their symbolic meaning as well as for their beauty. The magpie is the bird of happiness and carrier of good news. It is also associated with the arrival of spring and thus is the symbol of a new beginning. Furthermore, the chatter of the magpie is an omen of success associated with the Civil Service examinations. It is said that dreaming of a magpie before one's examination can be a prediction of great achievement. It was a bird also held in high esteem by the Manchus. According to legends one of their clan members when pursued by his enemies was saved by a magpie which perched on his shoulder so that he was mistaken for a tree trunk.

Compare a closely related pair of cloisonné magpies, lacking their stand, sold in our London rooms, 16^th November 1976, lot 57; and another pair with the stand, sold in our New York rooms, 21/22^nd September 2005, lot 211. Another figure of a magpie, with its wings stretched out in a flying pose, in the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, Paris, is illustrated in Soame Jenyns and W. Watson, Chinese Art: The Minor Arts, Fribourg, 1963, pl. 97.