A LARGE TRIPOD CLOISONNE BASIN QING DYNASTY, 17TH CENTURY

robustly cast in six petal-lobed form with raised gilded mouthrim, the central interior scene depicting a palace amidst a misty mountain landscape, the steep cavetto decorated with lotus flowers interconnected by swirling foliate scrolls, the flared circular diaper rim boasting six lobed panels, each decorated with writhing blue dragons, the under-side of the rim decorated with similar lotus and foliate scrolls, the exterior body covered with coin-diaper motif with another six lobed panels, each with two confronting dragons with a 'shou' character, all surmounted on tripod 'elephant-head' feet

Count Gilberti, Milan, who purchased the basin in China c. 1900, hence by decent.

The overall condition is very good with only some minor pitting filled in with wax. The cloison wires retain much of their gilding. The elephant legs have original minor casting pits and they retain much of their original gilding.
"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 basin is impressive for its large size and well preserved condition with the colours of the enamels especially deep and brilliant. Although vessels of this type were part of the furnishing, they were undoubtedly made to impress. An auspicious element is added to the overall design of the vessel in the form of three elephant-head feet. The elephant is associated with 'peace' and is a pun for the word 'sign' (xiang) from the phrase 'taiping you xiang'  meaning 'when there is peace, there are signs'. The tradition of employing elephant-heads as the feet of imperial ritual vessels can be traced back as far as the reign of Xuande of the Ming dynasty. An example of a censer, with the six-character Xuande reign mark, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, was included in the Special Exhibition of Incense Burners and Perfumers Throughout the Dynasties, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1994, cat. no. 54.

A basin of this elegant hexagonal lobed form, similarly decorated with dragons in panels on the rim, but with dragons and shou characters in the interior, from the Pierre Uldry Collection, is published in Helmut Brinker and Albert Lutz, Chinesisches Cloisonné die Sammlung Pierre Uldry, Zurich, 1985, pl. 177. Compare another cloisonné basin of this type , with seahorses on the well and figures in a pavilion in the centre, sold in our London rooms, 15^th October 1968, lot 26, and again, 5^th March 1974, lot 225. See also a deep octagonal basin with related lobed rim, its interior decorated with the dragon-and-phoenix motif, in the Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh, published in Sir Harry Garner, Chinese and Japanese Cloisonne Enamels, London, 1962, pl. 60, attributed to the second-half of the seventeenth century.