Page 228 - Sotheby's October 3 2017 Chinese Art
P. 228
The Qianlong Emperor is known for having challenged two lacquer techniques further highlight the dexterity of the
craftsmen working in the Zaobanchu (Imperial Palace craftsmen working in the palace workshops.
Workshops) to create pieces that were technically innovative
and unconventional in their aesthetics, a trend that that these No other closely related example appears to have been
vases clearly display. Their bold design would have resonated published although a carved cinnabar lacquer version similarly
with the Emperor’s passion for antiquity, while their stacked carved with archaic bronze-inspired bands of decoration, but
form showcases the craftsmen’s ability to create tiers of of smaller size, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in
various sizes that perfectly fit into each other. The smooth The Complete Collection of Treasures in the Palace Museum.
painted surfaces of the archaistic body provide a striking Lacquer Wares of the Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong, 2006, pl. 56,
aesthetic contrast with the intricately carved stand which is together with one lacking the neck tier and the stand, pl. 55.
supported on four ruyi feet. The successful combination of
226 SOTHEBY’S 蘇富比
