A cloisonné enamel tripod vessel (Ding), Qing dynasty, Qianlong period

Christie's New York, 30th March 2005, lot 145.

The present lot is an outstanding example of the artistic and technical sophistication achieved during the Qianlong period, when the medium flourished under imperial patronage and the Emperor's fascination with antiquity inspired innovative reinterpretations of archaic forms. Modeled after ancient ritual bronze ding vessels of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, the present lot retains the powerful tripod form of their prototypes while reimagining the decoration with the richly colored enamels and refined ornament characteristic of the Qing court.

Compare a similarly decorated tripod ding with confronting taotie masks and pendent blades, bearing a four-character Qianlong mark, in the National Palace Museum (accession no. 中琺000008) and published on the Museum's website.