A PAIR OF CLOISONNE ENAMEL BUFFALO-FORM VESSELS 20TH CENTURY

each depicted standing foursquare, with head turned to one side, and with three small zun vessels on its back, decorated overall with scrolls on a bright blue ground, with an apocryphal four-character Qianlong mark cast to the side of the square-shaped vessel (2)

Rare Art, Inc., New York. 

One vessel with a crack to the enamel at the base of the neck. The other with a chip to the neck and to to the side of the body. Both with wear to the gilding, as well as pitting and fill to the enamels overall.
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.

These vessels were made after the champlevé enamel buffalo-shaped vessel from the Qianlong period, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 43 - Metal-bodied Enamel Ware, Hong Kong, 2002, p. 125, no. 121. They formed part of a group of enamel decorative articles made for display, and the small zun vessels on the back of the buffalo were used for offerings.