Cloche impériale de cérémonie en émaux cloisonnés, Chine, Epoque Qianlong (1736-1795)

à décor sur fond turquoise de fleurs de lotus et volutes stylisées, sous une fine bande de ruyi, l'anse en bronze doré, à décor similaire incisé de fleurs de lotus, un cabochon de rubis à l'extrémité figurant le coeur de la fleur.



Decorated with a dense design of stylised lotus scrolls on a turquoise ground, below a thin band of ruyi, the gilt bronze knopped handle chased with a similar lotus design below a flange with scrolling flowers, the lotus finial inset with a cabochon ruby.

In China, the bell has traditionally been a symbol of wisdom and is one of the most important implements in Tibetan Buddhism. Bells are used in Buddhist rituals to symbolize the sound or the vibrations generated by the repetition of mantras. It can also be united with the vajra into one object, the vajraghanta, representing the union of wisdom and compassion. During Tibetan Buddhist rituals, bells are rung to warn all the deities of possible danger and to alert everyone of the wisdom of Buddha. The priest or lama holds the bell in his left hand and the vajra in his right and unifies them by crossing his arms over his chest to represent the enlightened mind.

Buddhist bells can be found made in various mediums although cloisonné enamelled bells are extremely rare. For examples of Buddhist bells see a jade carving of a bell and vajra, attributed to the Qianlong period and from the collection of the Potala Palace, Lhasa,  included in the exhibition Treasures from the Snow Mountain. Gems of Tibetan Cultural Relics, Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, 2001, cat.no. 51, together with two earlier Ming gilded-copper bells, cat.nos. 49 and 50. 

The superb workmanship of the present bell indicates that it was possibly made for use in one of the Tibetan Buddhist temples in the Forbidden City, Beijing, or as a gift to the Tibetan hierarchy from the Imperial Court. The highly stylized and ornate handle is a fine example of the decorative technique much favoured in the 18^th century and used on many imperial objects of the period, such as the openwork covered box decorated with flower scrolls and inlaid with precious stones, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Zhongguo jinyin boli falangqi quanji, vol. 3, Shijiazhuang, 2002, pl. 306. See also a bowl with closely related carved decoration included in the Shanghai Museum exhibition op.cit., cat.no. 71.

The remains of kingfisher feather inlay make this bell particularly special. This decorative technique was used on imperial pieces, giving the objects an intense brilliant blue colouration that was associated with opulence and luxury. See an embellished gold box and cover, the feet similarly inlaid with kingfisher feathers sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 11^th April 2008, lot 2316.

Cloisonne enamelled ritual objects from the Qing Summer Palace at Chengde were included in the Chang Foundation exhibition Buddhist Art from Rehol, Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, Kaohsiung, 1999, such as the stupa, cat. no. 79, and the gourd-form shrine, cat. no. 80.