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A RARE CELADON-GLAZED IRON-RED AND GILT-EMBELLISHED DOUBLE-GOURD SHAPED INK PALETTE QIANLONG SEAL MARK AND PERIOD
Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 USD
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Description
delicately made in the shape of a double-gourd attached to a leafy vine bearing a smaller gourd, molded with an iron-red bat at the center, the veins, tendrils and details on the bat highlighted in gilding, covered overall in a lustrous blue-green glaze, the base with seven tiny spur marks and four-character seal mark in underglaze blue, wood stand (2)
Provenance
J.T. Tai & Co., Inc., New York, 1969.
Collection of Eugene D. Buchanan, acquired by current owners circa 1977.
Collection of Eugene D. Buchanan, acquired by current owners circa 1977.
Condition
There is a minute chip to the tip of the gourd stem and two of the leaf tips. There are tiny burst bubbles in the glaze along the edges, and minor wear to the gilt and iron-red enamel.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
Double-gourd-shaped palettes are comparatively rare. More often seen are those of leaf shape such as the Qianlong mark and period celadon-glazed leaf-shaped ink palette sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 28th November 2012, lot 2307. Compare also a Qianlong yellow-glazed and gilt leaf-form palette in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Wen fang qing gong. Zhongguo wenfang sibao quanji, vol. 4, Beijing, 2008, pl. 191, and another in the Shanghai Museum Collection, ibid, pl. 190.
The double-gourd represents longevity as dried, hollowed gourds were believed to be used by immortals to store their pills of immortality. The name of the double-gourd in Chinese, hulu, also serves as a pun for 'blessings and emoluments', while the red bat, hong fu, represents a wave of blessings. In addition, the large and small double gourds attached to the vine forms the rebus guadie mianmian, which carries the wish that one will have many descendants.
The double-gourd represents longevity as dried, hollowed gourds were believed to be used by immortals to store their pills of immortality. The name of the double-gourd in Chinese, hulu, also serves as a pun for 'blessings and emoluments', while the red bat, hong fu, represents a wave of blessings. In addition, the large and small double gourds attached to the vine forms the rebus guadie mianmian, which carries the wish that one will have many descendants.