Lot 1841
  • 1841

A RARE PAIR OF IMPERIALLY INSCRIBED CINNABAR LACQUER TEABOWLS SEAL MARKS AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG

Estimate
800,000 - 1,200,000 HKD
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Description

each of deep form, the sides carved with an Imperial poem followed by the seals Qian and Long through to a yellow square-diaper ground, between borders of ruyi motifs against matching diaper grounds around the base and at the flared rim, the upright footrim encircling the countersunk base, the base carved with a six-character reign mark

Provenance

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 1st May 2001, lot 678.

Condition

The bowls are in overall very good condition. Each bowl has a few characters with a few missing strokes that have been chipped. The rims are a little nicked, but overall in very good condition.
"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

For a closely related pair of bowls also carved with the Qianlong emperor's poem Sanqing cha ('Three Purity Tea'), see a pair in the Tianjin Municipal Art Museum, Tianjin, illustrated in Zhongguo qiqi quanji, vol. 6, Fuzhou, 1993, pl. 211; another pair in the Avery Brundage collection, published in Clarence F. Shangraw, 'Chinese Lacquers in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco', Orientations, April 1986, pl. 41; and a bowl in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, illustrated in Sir Harry M, Garner, Chinese Lacquer, London, 1979, pl. 93. Further examples include a bowl sold in these rooms, 9th October 2007, lot 1644; and another pair also sold in these rooms, 1st May 2001, lot 678.

Bowls inscribed with the Sanqing cha are also well-known in porcelain, decorated in cobalt or iron-red; see a blue and white version sold in these rooms, 27th April 2003, lot 30, along with an iron-red example, lot 31. For a full translation and explanation of the poem, see the catalogue note for a jade bowl of the same design sold in these rooms, 2nd May 2005, lot 526.