A VERY RARE BRONZE-MOUNTED BLUE AND WHITE EWER QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

the flattened pear-shaped body rising from a short spreading foot to a narrow neck, set with a tall curved spout connected to the neck by a lingzhi-shaped strut, freely painted around the body in underglaze blue with a dense stylised pattern of scrolling floral blooms and curling foliage, centred on the front and back by a tear-drop shaped panel of an ascending front-view five-clawed dragon writhing among flames and clouds, all between a keyfret border and continuous petal lappets at the neck and a 'classic' scroll border at the foot, the metal-mounted high domed cover inscribed with Arabic inscriptions attached to an arched strap handle set opposite the spout, surmounted with a green hard stone finial

Christie's London, 12th July 2005, lot 169.

Examined with mount attached; this rare ewer is in good condition with the exception of an approx. 6cm., section of over-painting to the interior and exterior of one side of the foot, a glaze hairline encircling the join between the strut and the spout and a light glaze scratches around the body.
"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."

Notable for its dynamic dragon motif on a raised cartouche, which adds a three-dimensionality to the design, this ewer reflects the aesthetic of the eighteenth century as dictated by the emperor. From the Yongzheng period, dynamic designs of front-facing dragons experienced a surge in popularity and were one of the greatly favoured motifs of the Qianlong Emperor due to its association with imperial power.

In both form and design, this piece also embodies the Qing emperors' desire to celebrate and honour China's glorious past by taking inspiration from celebrated wares. The deliberate application of cobalt blue to create a dappled 'heaping and piling' effect of the design references the stippled early-fifteenth century blue-and-white porcelain. Furthermore, in its slightly flattened form with raised cartouche, it draws from Ming dynasty prototypes which in turn derived from Middle Eastern metal examples.

Ewers of this type are rare and only a small number of related examples are known; see one with its original porcelain handle and cover, in the Roemer Museum, Hildesheim published in Ulrich Wiesner, Chinesisches Porzellan, Mainz am Rhein, 1981, pl. 70; and a pair sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 1st May 2001, lot 537. Compare also a ewer of this type, but now lacking its handle, from the Ottoman Royal collection, in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, published in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum Istanbul, London, 1986, vol. 3, pl. 2566.

The intricately decorated metal mounts on this piece, the swelling forms of which complement the shape of the vessel, suggests it may once have belonged in a Middle Eastern collection.