A pair of massive cloisonne enamel 'double-gourd' vases and covers Qing Dynasty, late 18th century

each covered overall with a profusion of double-gourds of various shapes, suspended from long leafy vines interspersed with small florets, some gourds embellished with a wan symbol on the lower body, all reserved on a tomato-red ground, with a band of wan symbols encircling the foot, the cover completing the overall double-gourd shape, set with a projecting gilt-stem (4)

Sotheby's New York, 17th April 1985, lot 299.

Additional Provenance: Charlotte Horstmann and Gerald Godfrey LTD. The vase on the left side of the catalogue image: There is enamel loss and areas of retouching to the enamel, particularly to a horizontal section just above the waist where it was likely soldered and the weakest structurally, as well as to the blue swastikas on the foot. Most of the cloisons are intact and have retained some gilding, though one near the bottom of the vase has come undone. The cover with some loss and wear to the enamel around the sprig. The vase on the right side of the catalogue image: There is enamel loss and areas of retouching to the enamel, particularly to a horizontal section just above the waist where it was likely soldered and the weakest structurally, the cracks to the enamel visible around most of the circumference. There is a dent at the shoulder. The cover with some loss to the enamel around the sprig.
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.

It is rare to find cloisonné vases of this impressive large size. Compare a similar pair sold at Sotheby's Country House Sale at Easton Neston, Northamptonshire, England, 18th May 2005, lot 773; and for a smaller example see a cloisonné double-gourd vase, similarly decorated with the design of gourds hanging from vines, in the collection of the Museum fur Kunsthandwerk, Frankfurt am Main, illustrated in Gunhild Gabbert Avitabile, Die Ware aus dem Teufelsland, Hannover, 1981, pl. 114.

Vases of this form were also made in the champlevé enamel technique during the Qianlong period which may have been the inspiration for the present pair. See one published in The Gathering of Select Gems from the Shenyang Imperial Palace Museum Collection, Liaoning, 1991, p. 43 left; and another vase sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 23rd October 2005, lot 403.

The bottle gourd is an important auspicious symbol, and has many meanings. The multiple seeds found in the gourd symbolize fertility and is believed to bring many sons and grandsons. The endless vines and tendrils suggest continuity and is used as a pun for 'ten thousand generations' (wandai). Bottle gourd is also associated with one of the Eight Immortals, Li Tiegui, who used a gourd to hold pills for healing the sick. Gourds are therefore seen as symbols of healing.