Page 49 - March 17, 2020 Imperial Jade and Cloisonne, Sotheby's, New York

The present lot illustrated in John Getz, Catalogue of the Avery
Collection of Ancient Chinese Cloisonnés, New York, 1912.
本拍品著錄於 John Getz，《Catalogue of the Avery Collection of
Ancient Chinese Cloisonnés》，紐約，1912年

This impressive censer represents the apogee of artistic and technical
achievement of imperial enamel craftsmanship during the Qianlong reign.
Every aspect and execution has been accomplished to the highest standard.
The high quality of workmanship is clearly shown by the casting of the
mythical mask-form feet, the elaborate pierced knop and the fine details of
the cloisonné enamels. The decoration and the choice of colors also reflect the
sophistication and confidence among artists to experiment with more unusual
designs and color schemes.
The censer is of ding form, based on the shape of archaic ritual vessels of the
Shang dynasty. Its cauldron-like shape, standing on three short slightly curved
legs, reflects the predilection in the Ming and Qing periods for vessels in the
form of archaic bronzes of the Shang and Zhou dynasties. Although the overall
outlines of the archaic models were retained, the imperial craftsmen liberally
interpreted original decorative motifs, such as the leiwen-inspired keyfret
scroll to the handles, incorporating them with more contemporary lotus scrolls
to the body.
As a universal monarch at the center of the world, the Qianlong Emperor lent
his support to a variety of religious institutions, including Daoist and Buddhist
temples, as well as Manchu shamanic shrines and the buildings and altars that
housed the so-called ‘State Religion’, the worship of impersonal Heaven. Altar
garnitures typically comprise an incense burner, placed in the center, flanked
by two candleholders and gu-shaped vases, all placed on tall stools, as seen
in a 20th century picture of the Daxiongbaodian of the Tanzhe Temple near
Beijing, illustrated in Helmut Brinker and Albert Lutz, Chinese Cloisonné. The
Pierre Uldry Collection, New York, 1989, p. 53, fig. 29.
Compare a similar lotus finial on a very large (91 cm high) square-form
censer in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of
Treasures of the Palace Museum. Metal-Bodied Enamel Ware, Hong Kong,
2002, pl. 149.