AN EXCEPTIONAL BEIJING-ENAMLLED 'EUROPEAN LANDSCAPE' SNUFF BOTTLE MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG

of compressed spherical form tapered to an oval foot rising to a circular mouth, the decoration set within cord-decorated circular borders also encircling the neck, one side painted in puce enamels with a view of a winding river in the evening, with trees growing on the bands and a house in the background, the full moon reflected in the still waters, the other side with two farmers tending a hilly field with a large house on the knoll and two cottages behind trees, all between bands of 'classic scrolls', the remaining pale blue ground with elaborate multi-coloured foliage of florets and tendrils, the base inscribed in blue enamel with a four-character mark 

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 5th November 1997, lot 2176.
Christie's Hong Kong, 29th April 2002, lot 526.

Christie's 20 Years in Hong Kong, 1986-2006. Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art Highlights, Hong Kong 2006, p. 349.

There is a tiny shallow flake to one of the medallions (near the moon). Apart from some light crackles and minor losses to the neck, the overall condition is very good.
"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 exceptional quality of the painting of this snuff bottle is a testament to the high level of artistry achieved by court artists trained by the Jesuit missionaries who introduced the technique of enamelling on metal to the Palace Workshop in the Forbidden City. It is especially notable for the scenes of Western landscapes that have been painted in pink enamel and in a style closely related to prints and engravings of 18th century Europe. Paintings of figures inhabiting tranquil pastoral landscapes grew in popularity in France during the early 18th century and the rise of the Rococo style, epitomised in the paintings of Antoine Watteau and Francois Boucher. Consequentially prints of such idealised landscapes were produced. The combination of layering of washes and stippling techniques seen here is closely related to that found on European prints. The use of pink enamel on a white ground, often found depicting chinoiserie scenes within ornate Rococo frames, also appears to have been developed during this time in France.

A Qianlong mark and period snuff bottle of similar form, painted with a continuous Chinese landscape scene, is illustrated in Hugh Moss et. al., The Art of the Snuff Bottle. The J & J Collection, vol. 1, New York, 1993, pl. 178; and a large yellow ground covered jar depicting four Chinese landscapes in shaped panels, also with a Qianlong reign mark and of the period, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, is published in Enamel Ware in the Ming and Ch'ing Dynasties, Taipei, 1999, pl. 115. Similar pink-enamelled Chinese landscapes painted within shaped panels adorn glass and porcelain; see a white glass snuff bottle with puce landscapes within panels, included in Robert Kleiner, Chinese Snuff Bottles in the Collection of Mary and George Bloch, Hong Kong, 1987, pls 23 and 24; and a bowl, from the collection of Paul and Helen Bernat, illustrated in Sekai toji zenshu, vol. 15, Tokyo, 1983, pl. 111.

The Qianlong emperor's attraction to Western subject matter is closely linked to the expansion of the original Yuanming Yuan outside Beijing, also known as the Old Summer Palace. Upon completion of this grand and ambitious architectural project its numerous halls and offices were divided into five complexes and garden areas, one of which was the European style palace buildings. This European Palace was designed by the Jesuit missionary, Giuseppe Castiglione, and constructed between 1747 and 1759. Built in the Baroque style to satisfy the Qianlong emperor's lavish taste for the exotic and to be seen as the universal ruler, the numerous rooms were dressed with Western-style décor and furnishings. The emperor's vast curio collection, which included clocks, mechanical devices, mirrors, telescopes and celestial globes and tribute items, filled the palace. It is most likely that much of the enamel vessels decorated with European subject matter were made to be housed in the Palace where they provided a 'window on the West' to the Qianlong emperor, who was imbued with a universal vision of his imperial power.