A MAGNIFICENT CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL AND GILT-BRONZE VASE, FANGHU MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG

of rectangular section, the baluster body rising from a splayed foot to broad shoulders below a flared mouth, the shoulder flanked by a pair of 'mythical beast' handles, each suspending a loose ring detailed with curling foliage, the facetted sides brightly decorated against a turquoise ground with lotus blooms borne on scrolling leafy tendrils, punctuated by a dividing band of ruyi-heads below the waisted neck and by upright lappets around the feet, all framed between key-fret bands around the mouth and foot, the base with a four-character reign mark within a double-square

Collection of Lord Loch of Drylaw (1827-1900).
Collection of Alfred Morrison (1821-97), Fonthill House, Tisbury, Wiltshire (no. 551).
Christie's London, 9th November 2004, lot 41.

The vase is in exceptionally good condition and the enamels are pristine.
"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."

Superbly enamelled with a rich design on an archaic bronze hu form, this vase embodies the various sources of inspiration available to the craftsmen in order to satisfy the Qianlong Emperor’s taste for the exotic and reverence for the past. Craftsmen working in all media, from jade and porcelain to metal and wood, were encouraged to study archaic vessels and use these as the basis for shapes and designs. Every aspect of the design has been carefully planned and executed to the highest standard, as evident in the skilful application of different coloured enamels within a single cell for the rendering of the leaves and lotus heads.

The luminous and luxurious nature of cloisonné enamel was particularly suited to the personal taste of the Qianlong Emperor, who commissioned an increasing number of cloisonné furnishings for the Palace, as well as objects for display and for the scholar’s desk. As a result, in order to meet the Emperor’s demands, on the sixth year of his reign, corresponding to 1741, the Enamel Workshop was significantly expanded and allocated a further six locations. Wares of such fine workmanship as the present were either created in one of the Enamel Workshops within the Zaobanchu [Imperial Palace Workshop], located within the Forbidden City in Beijing, or were a tributary item made for the emperor in one of the important workshops located in Guangzhou. Most craftsmen working in this medium in the Palace Workshop were recruited from Guangzhou where there was an established tradition of cloisonné enamel production. Furthermore, during the Qianlong period it benefitted greatly from the introduction of European technology at court, particularly in regards to the development of new colours and designs. Since the Kangxi reign, European Jesuit priests had brought European enamelled wares as gifts to the court, with the ulterior motive to gain access to the emperor through foreign novelties. In an attempt to reproduce these wares Chinese craftsmen experimented together with the European enamelling specialists to greatly widen their palette developed by their Ming predecessors to more than twenty opaque colours.

A smaller unmarked vase decorated with a similar design, and cast with elaborate animal-head handles, was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 27th May 2008, lot 1872. Compare also a Qianlong mark and period vase of baluster form with similar handles, but decorated on the body with a taotie mask, from the Qing Court collection and still in Beijing, illustrated in The Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum. Enamels, vol. 2, Cloisonné of the Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, pl. 167.