A PAIR OF CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL CANDLESTICKS QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

each with a bell-shaped base rising to a shaft supporting a dish tray, the tall tapering cylindrical neck surmounted by a small bulbous section below a smaller tray fitted with a metal pricket, the exterior and the interior of the lower dish tray decorated in brilliant enamels against a bright turquoise ground with the bajixiang emblems amidst lotus blooms on dense scrolling leafy stems, the rims of the trays and the bulbous sections, as well as the footrim bordered with gilt key-fret bands, all above a pendent lotus petal lappet bordering the tip of the bell-shaped base

As visible in the catalogue photo, there is typical pitting and losses to the surface. The lower and upper bulbs of both candlesticks appear to have been reattached. Minor retouching and re gilding at the peripheries. Remnants of surface waxing.
"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 brilliantly enamelled, 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 Qianlong period. 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 also a pair of champlevé enamel candlesticks of similar form, sold in our London rooms, 6th November 2013, lot 132.