A PAIR OF YELLOW-GROUND 'FAMILLE-ROSE' CANDLESTICKS SEAL MARKS AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG

THIS IS A PREMIUM LOT.   CLIENTS WHO WISH TO BID ON PREMIUM LOTS ARE REQUESTED TO COMPLETE THE PREMIUM LOT PRE-REGISTRATION 3 WORKING DAYS PRIOR TO THE SALE.




each finely painted around the body with the bajixiang amid large lotus blooms on dense scrolling leafy stems, with a puce-enamel keyfret band at the foot, dispersed at various intervals with bands of ruyi, interlinked pendant and upright trefoils, dots, and gilt bands, all reserved on a rich lemon-yellow ground, the interior and base turquoise, with the six-character iron-red seal-mark within a cartouche at the base of the neck 

Acquired in France.

The present pair of candlesticks is a fine example of altarwares produced during Qianlong's reign in the famille rose palette. For a similar example see a pair of Qianlong mark and period yellow-ground candlesticks sold in these rooms, 27th October 1992, lot 162, and again at Christie's Hong Kong, 2nd November 1999, lot 569. Compare also a pair of Qianlong mark and period candlesticks of this shape and design, but the bajixiang decoration painted in gilt enamel on celadon-ground, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 2nd June 1989, lot 203. 

Altarware of this decoration on colour-ground were much desired and copied during Jiaqing and Daoguang's reigns: see a Jiaqing five-piece altar set that includes a pair of candlesticks, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Official Kiln Porcelain of the Chinese Qing Dynasty, Shanghai, 2003, pl. 374; and a pair of Daoguang candlesticks included in the Illustrated Catalogue of Tokyo National Museum. Chinese Ceramics II, Tokyo, 1990, cat.no. 678.