A PAIR OF MONUMENTAL GILT-BRONZE AND CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL ‘LOTUS’ JARDINIÈRES QING DYNASTY, 18TH / 19TH CENTURY

each with deep rounded sides rising from a countersunk base to a gilded lipped rim, the exterior vividly decorated in cloisonné enamel with a continuous scene depicting large flourishing lotus blooms borne on leafy stems and attendant pads, detailed with small mandarin ducks, dragonflies and egrets, all against a rich turquoise ground picked out with leiwen

A private American collection.
Acquired from Vallin Galleries, Peter Rosenberg, Connecticut, around the mid 1980s.

The jardinières are in overall good condition except for expected losses to the gilding and the enamels, as consistent with age. Small areas of the enamel losses have also been retouched. The jardinières are also slightly warped.
"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."

A closely related jardinière was sold in our London rooms, 10th May 1994, lot 244; and a related example, but decorated with butterflies amongst flowers, was sold in our New York rooms, 15th September 2010, lot 385. A famille-verte jardinière of similar form and decoration is illustrated in Therese Tse Bartholomew, Hidden Meanings in Chinese Art, San Francisco, 2006, p. 91, where the author notes that a pair of egrets, lotus plant and reed symbolises the wish for success in civil examinations.

Compare jardinières of this type attributed to the Qianlong period, which featured a broader rounded rim, such as one, from the Fonthill Heirlooms formed by Alfred Morrison during the nineteenth century, sold at Christie’s London, 18th October 1971, lot 101, and possibly the same as that sold in our London rooms, 13th November 1972, lot 126.