A RARE PAIR OF CHAMPLEVÉ ENAMEL BUDDHIST EMBLEMS QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

the two gilt-bronze 'bajixiang' emblems of the Conch and the Umbrella intricately cast in the round, each raised on a makara pedestal, the reclining beast rising from turbulent waves and balancing a large lingzhi-shaped cloud stem between its clenched teeth and uplifted tail, the cloud decorated in champlevé technique further surmounted by two rows of pink-shaded lotus petals, its slightly domed top centred by the two cloisonné beribboned emblems, the umbrella enamelled with pale yellow lotus blooms against a lemon-yellow ground and the conch in white

There are some minor pitting to the cloisonne umbrella to the yellow enamelling. The finial of the umbrella has a replacement bolt. The champleve cloud area is slightly thin in areas on one side, thus revaealing the metal barbs below that are used to hold the enamelling in place (usually covered by the enamelling) and there are areas of minor loss. The gilding is in very good condition. The conch also has some minor pitting to the white and a little area of loss at the top. The champleve clouds are in good condition with some minor loss. A tip has a soldered repair at the base.
"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 Qianlong Emperor was a devout Buddhist and is known to have commissioned the making of a large number of religious artefacts for the Imperial temples and shrines located in the Forbidden City. He relied on the advise of his mentor and religious teacher, the lama Rolpay Dorje (see Teresa Tse Bartholemew, 'Sino-Tibetan Art of the Qianlong Period from the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco', Orientations, June 1991, pp. 34-45). Rolpay Dorje became the Grand Lama at Beijing in 1736, and when he died, the emperor had a hall in the Pavilion of Raining Flowers (Yuhuage), the largest Tantric chapel of Tibetan Buddhism in the Qing palace, devoted to his memory. A complete set of Buddhist emblems, most probably made of gilt-bronze and enamel, can be found in situ decorating the shrine and altar on the third floor of the Pavilion of Raining Flowers and is illustrated in Cultural Relics of Tibetan Buddhism Collected in the Qing Palace, Hong Kong, 1992, pl. 109-1.

See also a comparable set of Buddhist emblems in gilt-bronze and cloisonné enamel included in the exhibition Buddhist Art from Rehol, The Chang Foundation, Taipei, 1999, cat. no. 68; and two cloisonné and champlevé enamel emblems of the Endless Knot and the Umbrella, from the Clague Collection in the Phoenix Art Museum, illustrated in Chinese Cloisonné, Phoenix, 1990, pl. 48.