清十八 / 十九世紀早期 掐絲琺瑯百鹿圖壽鶴三足蓋爐

each bulbous body decorated with a continuous scene of 'One Hundred Deer' in an idyllic landscape punctuated with fantastic rocks, waterfalls, peach and pine trees, below a finely-cast gilt-bronze lappet border encircling the cylindrical neck, decorated with a frieze of deer, cranes, lingzhi, pine and other auspicious plants, the design repeated on the sides of the galleried rim and curved handles, each pierced with a central slot and connected to the rim with shou-decorated braces, the base centered with a large floral medallion surrounded by a foliate floral band, supported on three legs in the form of cranes, each standing with its head lowered and turned to the side, the domed cover decorated with three ruyi-shaped lappets similarly decorated with cranes and deer, against a champlevé ground of bats amid clouds surrounding shou medallions, surmounted by an ovoid champlevé finial cast with a writhing dragon and flaming pearl amid clouds, wood stands (6)

現藏家家族於20世紀早期購於英格蘭

Both censers have scattered chips and age related wear to the gilding, most noticable around the rims of the covers and the edges of the handles. There is chipping to the enamels around the inner mouth rims. The whiskers of the dragons on the finials are lost. A number of the screws attaching the finials to the covers and the crane-form legs to the bodies are replacements. The crane-form feet have scattered minor chips to the enamels.The body of one censer has a 3/4 in. (2 cm) bruise, a 1 1/2 in (3.8cm) bruise with enamel loss, and a 3 in. (7.6 cm) long area of fill. There is some enamel loss around one of the handles. The cover has scattered chips and touch ups around the base of the finial, and there are shallow chips to the enamels on one of the ruyi lappets. The other censer has several knocks and areas of fill to the body ranging in size from 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm) to 3 in (7.6 cm) in length. Two of the cranes are missing the protective balls placed on the tips of their beaks. The screwed on lower beak of one crane is slightly loose. The wood stands are associated.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

It is rare to find large censers such as these still in a pair. Such items were produced not only to be functional, but also to lend a sense of grandeur to palaces and halls.  A Qianlong period pair traced to the Summer Palace was sold in our Hong Kong salerooms, 10th April 2006, lot 1541. This pair had made its way to France and in fact, many such censers ended up in Europe where they graced the interiors of aristocratic homes. A similar Qianlong period pair in the collection of the British Museum is illustrated in Evelyn S. Rawski and Jessica Rawson (Eds.), China: The Three Emperors 1662-1795, London, 2006, no. 304. A similar single example was sold at Christie's Rome, 26th May 1987, lot 265, and another is illustrated in Helmut Brinker and Albert Lutz, Chinese Cloisonné: The Pierre Uldry Collection, New York, 1989, pl. 323. A censer of similar shape and form, but decorated with mandarin ducks instead of deer, was sold in our London rooms, 12th November 1974, lot 174.

The 'One Hundred Deer' motif was popular during the Ming and Qing dynasties and represented wealth and status, since the word for deer in Chinese was homophonous with the word for emoluments. In addition, the deer and the crane, which also feature prominently on the present lot, were companions of Shoulao, the god of longevity.  Both animals therefore also carry with them wishes for a long life. Crafting the legs of the censers in the shape of cranes not only reinforces the longevity motif, but also displays the mastery of the artisans over their medium. In addition, the pine tree and lingzhi also represent longevity as it was believed that the former could live a very long time, and the latter was believed to revive the dead and have a host of life-prolonging properties. The bats and clouds on the cover represent blessings and good fortune. Every design element on this pair of censers is carefully thought out and filled with symbolic meaning.