A RARE CLOISONNE-IMITATION WHITE-GROUND FAMILLE-ROSE VASE SEAL MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG | 清乾隆 粉彩仿掐絲琺瑯番蓮花紋雙耳盤口瓶 《大清乾隆年製》款

This vase belongs to a group of vessels commissioned by the Qianlong Emperor which was created to imitate cloisonné enamel. The Qianlong Emperor was particularly fond of cloisonné work which he revived on a grand scale after a period of disregard under the Yongzheng Emperor. He had it imitated in painted enamel and porcelain, where the wires separating the cloisons of different enamels were mirrored by finely painted golden lines, as seen on the present piece.

Although it is difficult to find close counterparts to the present vase known in cloisonné enamel, the shape and decoration can be compared to a pair of vases of similar form decorated with lotus and scrollwork, from an altar garniture attributed to the Qianlong period, from the Qing court collection, illustrated in Metal-Bodied Enamel Ware. The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 2002, no. 138. It is also reminiscent of a Yuan dynasty cloisonné enamel vase from the Qing court collection, ibid., pl. 2.

For porcelain vases decorated in cloisonné style, see a turquoise-ground yangcai vase, Qianlong mark and period, from J.T. Tai Co. Ltd., sold in these rooms, 7th October 2010, lot 2132; and another Qianlong famille-rose cloisonné-imitation bottle vase, sold in these rooms, 3th April 2019, lot 3615.

雍正帝在位年間，景泰藍並不甚受重視，至乾隆之時，弘曆對銅胎掐絲琺瑯器尤為鍾愛，除大規模製作外，嘗下命以瓷仿傚，本品當屬其中。當時也有以銅胎畫琺瑯仿掐絲琺瑯之品，以描金細線代替曲捲銅絲。雖遠早於十八世紀前，已有模倣不同材質之作，但乾隆年間，工藝精湛，仿學藝作近乎完美，時出幾可亂真之品。畫師在本品上以描金勾勒，妙仿景泰藍上之鎏金銅絲，流麗線條，對比鮮明，賞心悅目。

本瓶珍罕獨特，似乎並無相近作例記載。北京故宮博物院清宮舊藏掐絲琺瑯纏枝蓮紋瓶，為佛堂供器，器身飾纏枝花卉，紋飾與本品可資比較，圖刊於《故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集．金屬胎琺瑯器》，香港，2008年，圖版138。本瓶之器型和紋飾亦帶元朝掐絲琺瑯器遺風，見圖版2。

乾隆仿掐絲琺瑯瓷瓶例，見一松綠地粉彩描金折枝蓮八吉祥如意耳瓶，出自戴潤齋收藏，售於香港蘇富比2010年10月7日，編號2132。另比較一粉彩仿掐絲琺瑯番蓮福壽紋雙龍耳瓶，售於香港蘇富比2019年4月3日，編號3615。