清乾隆 掐絲琺瑯纏枝番蓮紋象足熏爐一對

each cast with a cylindrical body resting on three cabriole 'elephant-head' feet, decorated in bright cloisonné enamels with lotus blooms borne on curling foliate stems, all against a bright turquoise ground, the cover cast and reticulated with a pair of dragons flanking a 'flaming pearl' above a band of crashing waves, encircling a tall finial reticulated with an en face dragon to the top and a further writhing dragon coiling around a 'flaming pearl' to the the sides, the interior set with a tray-like liner

John Sparks Ltd.，倫敦

The incense burners and covers are in overall good condition. There has been some strengthening around the handles and elephant feet of both vessels with corresponding infilling and waxing. As expected, there is oxidisation to the interior.
"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."

The present pair of incense burners represents the high level of artistic and technical achievement of enamel craftsmanship during the Qianlong period. The incense burners were either made in the Cloisonné Enamel Workshop, within the Zaobanchu, located in the Forbidden City, or were tributary items made for the emperor in Guangzhou. In the catalogue to the exhibition Tributes from Guangdong to the Qing Court, Art Gallery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1987, pp. 53-4, it is noted that the cloisonné technique was mastered by craftsmen working in Guangzhou, who created pieces that surpassed those produced in the Palace.

An incense burner of similar shape and mounted with elephant-head feet, with a Qianlong mark and of the period, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum, Enamels, vol. 2, Cloisonné in the Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, pl. 238; another was sold in our New York rooms, 26th March 1996, lot 113; and a third was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 27th April 1997. Compare also a taller censer of this type sold in our New York rooms, 14th September 2011, lot 390; and a pair sold at Christie’s London, 31st/1st November 1988, lot 133.

Cloisonné incense burners of cylindrical shape were also made in the Ming dynasty, and mounted with a gilt footed base, handles and feet during the Qianlong reign, such as one from the Avery Brundage collection, in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, included in the exhibition Cloisonné. Chinese Enamels from the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, Bard Graduate Center, New York, 2011, cat. no. 122; and another in the Palace Museum, Beijing, published in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum, op. cit., pl. 237.