Page 149 - China's Renaissance in Bronze, The Robert H.CIague Collection of Later Chinese Bronzes 1100-1900

Perhaps from the same workshop as the previous incense box [27],
this ewer also dates to the eighteenth century, as indicated by its contrast-
ing gold and gunmetal gray surfaces. The presentation of the decorative
motifs in vertically oriented, rectangular panels set against plain grounds
also reflects its eighteenth-century origins, since that feature is seldom
encountered before the Qing dynasty but is occasionally seen in Qianlong-
11
era porcelains with overglaze enamel decoration. Even some Qianlong blue-
and-white vessels have their decoration organized into vertical panels, the
panels sometimes finished with pointed tops and trefoil-arched bottoms. 12
A characteristic of relatively late bronzes, the abundance of applique orna-
ment points to a mid- to late eighteenth-century date.
Entirely cold worked, this raised-copper ewer was prepared in sec-
tions hammered from sheet copper, the various pieces held together by
solder, rivets, and, in some cases, mere tension; in most cases seams betray
the joins. The ewer's walls comprise a single sheet of copper whose ends
were soldered together to form a cylinder; the vertical join is visible along
the handle side of the vessel's interior. Solder bonds the separately cut,
disk-like base to the vessel's walls, as it joins the spout to the body. Relying
mainly on tension, a vertical flange projecting downward into the vessel
anchors the neck and chrysanthemum collar in place. Rivets attach the
handle to metal mounts soldered to the walls to receive it, while solder
secures the applique ornaments in place on the spout, handle, and cover.
Chatter marks in the vertical walls indicate that the decorative panels
were carved into the ewer's sides. Standing no higher than the darkened
walls surrounding the panels, the low-relief floral sprays may have been
carved in place during the excavation of the backgrounds. The ring-mat
backgrounds were so densely punched that they resemble tightly woven
fabric in texture. The gilding was accomplished through the application of
an amalgam of powdered gold and mercury which was then heated to
evaporate the mercury, leaving a thin coating of gold; the gunmetal gray
finish was induced through chemical means. The exact nature of the chem-
ical treatments and their order of application in relation to the assembly of
the vessel remain uncertain.

T I I E R O B E R T II. C L A G U E C O L L E C T I O N 4 5