Lot 1805
  • 1805

A RARE BEIJING ENAMELLED CUP QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD, DATED TO THE JIHAI YEAR (1779)

Estimate
600,000 - 800,000 HKD
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Description

the steep rounded sides of the copper-body cup finely painted on the exterior with four brown geese, opposite a cluster of bright pink peonies all amid tall grass, the reverse inscribed with a twenty-character four-line poem with three seals, dated to the jihai year corresponding to 1779, all reserved on a white ground between a thin copper band at mouth and foot, the interior enameled in a pale lavender-blue

Condition

The overall condition is quite good. There is some light wear to the enamelling and some light crackles on both the exterior and interior. There is a 1 cm scratch on the exterior that has been lightly filled with some glue that has discoloured yellow. There is a tiny bit of restoration to the green stem of one of the peonies. The base of the interior is a bit rough which may be from some liquid sitting on the interior.
"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."

Catalogue Note

The inscription on this cup reads and can be translated as follows:

Shi jihai mu qiu,
qingyan Daoren ou
zuo yu Wuyang Cheng zhi luhuai shenchu.

The time is the late fall of the jihai year,
a green rock immortal image
is made in the depth of the green forest
at the City of Wuyang (City of Five Rams).  

The inscription refers to the story of Guangdong being called Wuyang Cheng or the 'City of Five Rams' after the five immortals who rode into the city on five rams, which were turned into stone.

Enamelled bowls of this type are rare, although a closely related pair of bowls painted with flowers and butterflies and each inscribed with a five-line poem was sold in our New York rooms, 23rd March 2004, lot 549, with the two cups dated to 1721 or 1781. The liberal use of white enamel for the background and the decoration painted in a free painterly style is strongly reminiscent of a meiping of the Kangxi period illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Metal-bodied Enamel Ware, Hong Kong, 2002, pl. 171; and a small hu-form vase sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 30th October 2002, lot 202.

The form and style of the present cup is closely related to inscribed porcelain cups of the Yongzheng period; for example see a cup included in the Special Exhibition of Ch'ing Dynasty Enamelled Porcelains of the Imperial Ateliers, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1992, cat. no. 68. Both Kangxi and Yongzheng examples are of consistent size with this cup, whereas later Qianlong enamelled wares tend to be much larger and in a different style.