A pair of champlevé enamel ‘lotus’ candlesticks Qianlong marks and period

each with a bell-shaped base supporting a dish tray with a galleried rim, rising to a knopped columnar neck and a smaller tray on top, fitted with a metal pricket, the exterior brightly enamelled against a rich gilt ground with leafy strapwork of blooming lotuses, variously divided by ruyi, floral scroll, stiff leaves and lappet bands, the gilt bulbous sections of the neck chased with leafy floral scrolls against a punched ground, encircled at the rims and feet by keyfret bands, the base with a four-character reign mark within a double-square

Eskenazi Ltd., London, 28th January 2004.

Both in good general condition. The upper half of one slightly warped and leaning to one side. The enamels in good general order, with only very minor flaking and some pitting. The gilding with patches of malachite-green patination. Minor surface wear elsewhere.
"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."

Finely cast and lavishly decorated, the technique, palette and ornamentation of the present candlesticks are distinctly Qing in style while the form is a clear reference to antiquity in accordance with the decorative trends of the 18^th century. Such candlesticks would have comprised part of a five-piece altar garniture which would have been employed for religious or ritual ceremonies. See a complete champlevé enamel set consisting of an incense burner, a pair of vases and a pair of candlesticks, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, published in Enamel Ware in the Ming and Ch’ing Dynasties, Taipei, 1999, pl. 155.

 

Compare a pair of lobed candlesticks, decorated in champlevé enamel with lotus scrolls and upright leaves, sold in our New York rooms, 19^th March 1997, lot 149; and another, but ornamented with shou characters and flower scrolls, illustrated in Zhongguo jin yin boli falang qi quanji, Shijiazhuang, 2002, pl. 255.