A RARE IMPERIAL CLOISONNE ICE CHEST QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

of square section with straight sides tapering towards the base, imitating the wooden prototype divided into three horizontal registers by two raised fillets, the middle section enamelled with a shou medallion in a foliate sunburst, flanked by a pair of formal lotus flowers, the top and bottom registers each with a pair of confronting red phoenixes centred on a blue bat grasping a wan character in its mouth, all reserved on a dense foliate ground on a turquoise-blue background, two sides set with gilt-bronze C-shaped handles, the interior with a fitted metal liner, wood stand

Purchased from Anna Puchar del Bello in 1968, who inherited it from her father, a captain on a Trieste-based merchant ship that often traveled to the Far East.

The cover is missing, but the ice chest is in very good overall condition with only some minor dents and loss to the enamels on the corners of the horizontal band. The gilding has worn off on the handles. The metal liner is not removable and has a hole in the center for drainage.
"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."

Impressive in size and its magnificent detailed design, the decorative combination of auspicious motifs such as phoenixes, bats and shou characters on a dense foliate scroll indicate that it may have been intended for the emperor's chambers. A pair of related ice chests with matching stands, but with angular corners and the decoration of the lower two registers reversed, was sold at Christie's New York, 20^th September 2005, lot 123, and another was sold in our New York rooms, 26^th March 1993, lot 163.

For a Qianlong example of similar form see one covered in a butterfly and flower design, from the C. Ruxton and Audrey B. Love collection, sold at Christie's New York, 20^th October 2004, lot 601; two ice chests decorated with shou characters against a geometric ground, one sold in our New York rooms, 25^th April 1987, lot 386; and the other, from the collection of Count Johann Heinrich von Bernstoff, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 29^th April 2001, lot 578; and another, with a Qianlong reign mark and of the period, but decorated with foliate lotus scrolls, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Metal-bodied Enamel Ware, Hong Kong, 2002, pl. 129.

Large ice chests of this type derive from wooden prototypes lined with a metal such as lead; see an example in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, illustrated in Craig Clunas, Chinese Furniture, London, 1997, p. 99, pl. 89. The form and horizontal gilt-metal ribs are examples of the original wooden structure that have been retained, along with the transportable nature of these chests as seen in the sturdily-constructed handles.

Ice chests were filled with ice and used in the Palace during the hot summer months to cool drinks and food, as well as cooling the surrounding area. The pierced covers allowed cool air to escape, which would then be fanned into the rooms by servants.