A LARGE CANTON ENAMEL PLAQUE QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

finely painted on nine panels with fauna and flora fitted together forming a rectangular plaque, the main octagonal-lobed panel depicting a pair of male and female pheasants as well as a pair of butterflies amongst flowery branches of magnolia and peonies, the birds resting on rock formations, the male with his head cocked upwards and the female with head turned backwards, the accompanying four panels displaying scenes of butterflies amongst flowery scrolls of roses, pinks, lilies and conch shells, separated by bouquets of various stylised leaf and flowers with a prominent torch ginger flower on all four corners, with fruit sprays consisting of finger citron, strawberry and peach, all reserved on a white ground, the bevelled frame enclosing flowering lotus blossom scrolls with another four panels depicting figures in mountain landscapes

John Mullanphy Harney Collection, St. Louis, Missouri.

The overall condition is quite good with minor expected light restoration to the panels forming the 'frame'. The central panels are in very good condition with only light scratches. The panels are attached to a wooden board on the back with nails. Some of the nails are later replacements.
"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 plaque is a fine example of a beautifully executed piece that synthesises Western techniques with Chinese decorative motifs. While the subjects enclosed in the shaped panels, such as the birds and flowering branch issuing from rockwork in the centre and cast landscapes on the frame, are familiar in traditional Chinese art, their meticulous execution provides a distinct Western rococo flavour.

Painted in the yangcai (Western colours) enamels, the decorative technique employed is first explained by Tang Ying, Superintendent of the Imperial Kilns at Jingdezhen, in his work A Brief Account of Ceramics, where he notes that yangcai wares should be classified as wares using falang glazes with Western painting styles (see the National Palace Museum exhibition catalogue, Stunning Decorative Porcelains from the Ch'ien-lung Reign, Taipei, 2008, pp 32-40). The subtle gradations of tone and the rendering of light and shade are particularly successful in the central panel, as seen in the seated bird, rockwork and flowering branch, and give the composition a three-dimensional effect. Moreover, the similarly rendered flowers are depicted in full bloom and appear to loom out from the contrasting plain white background.

Painting in enamels on copper is essentially a Western art that gained prominence in northern Europe during the Renaissance and flourished in China under the reign of the Qianlong emperor. Once the piece was shaped the copper was prepared with a ground of plain enamel to receive the painting in glassy pigments which then bonded to it by firing. The resulting clear and brilliant contrast of colours, which allowed for ornate decoration, was particularly suited to the Qianlong emperor's taste for the opulent and exotic.

A smaller panel of simpler composition, similarly painted with birds and a flowering branch issuing from rockwork within a black-ground rectangular border and a yellow-ground frame, was included in the exhibition Fran Kina till Europa, Ostasiatiska Meseet Stockholm, Stockholm, 1998, cat. no. 261. Compare also a table top, comprised of five shaped Canton enamel panels set into lacquered wood, also included in the exhibition ibid, cat. no. 251.