Page 82 - Bonhams, Fine Chinese Art, London November 3, 2022

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A RARE CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL AND GILT- A PAIR OF CLOISONNÉ AND pantheon, Samantabhadra (Puxian), is
BRONZE ‘MELON’ BOX AND COVER CHAMPLEVÉ ENAMEL CAPARISONED frequently shown seated on an elephant. They
18th century ELEPHANTS AND VASES are considered guardians of honour and were
Finely modelled as a lobed melon and Mid Qing Dynasty symbols of peace and good harvests. The
applied in high relief with gilt bronze tendrils Each cast standing foursquare the heads with elephant in China is also one of the seven
issuing leaves, all on a diaper pattern ground almond eyes swaying slightly to the sides, the Buddhist Sacred Treasures and symbolises
interspersed with floral designs and repeated trunks curled between long tusks, the striated peace. The combination of a vase ping 瓶),
at the box. cream body caparisoned with a saddle rug punning with ‘peace’ ping 平), and elephant
13.4cm (5 1/4) long. (2). decorated with ruyi-clouds supporting a xiang 象, homophone with the word for ‘sign’
baluster vase. or ‘portent’, forms a rebus for the phrase
£3,000 - 5,000 Each 26cm (10 1/2in) high. (2). taiping youxiang (太平有象), meaning ‘Where
CNY24,000 - 39,000 there is peace, there is a sign (or elephant)’.
£20,000 - 30,000
十八世紀 銅胎掐絲琺琅瓜形蓋盒 CNY160,000 - 240,000 See a related example of a gilt-bronze and
cloisonné enamel elephant, 18th century,
illustrated in the Compendium Collection
Provenance: Sir Michael Oppenheimer 清中期 掐絲及鏨胎琺瑯「太平有象」一對 of the Palace Museum: Enamelled wares,
(3rd Baronet, 1924-2020) and Lady Helen Beijing, 2010, vol.4, pls.84 and 85. See also
Oppenheimer DD (1926-2022), and thence by Provenance: Sir Michael Oppenheimer a pair of similar cloisonné elephants, 18th
descent (3rd Baronet, 1924-2020) and Lady Helen century, from the Shenyang Palace Museum,
Oppenheimer DD (1926-2022), and thence by illustrated by R.L.Thorp, Son of Heaven:
來源：Michael Oppenheimer 爵士（三代從男 descent Imperial Arts of China, Seattle, 1988, p.97.
爵，1924-2020年）
與Helen Oppenheimer爵士夫人（1926-2022 來源：Michael Oppenheimer 爵士（三代從 The present pair is particularly sumptuous
年）舊藏，並由後人保存迄今 男爵，1924-2020年）與Helen Oppenheimer in utilising both cloisonné and champlevé
爵士夫人（1926-2022年）舊藏，並由後人 enamel techniques, in the naturalistic folds of
Compare with a fan-shaped cloisonné enamel 保存迄今 of the skin denoted by the rounded gilt-bronze
covered box, mid Qing dynasty, decorated wires, the detailed enamelled caparison and
with a very similar patterned ground, at the Models of elephants were very popular in the finely chased flower-heads adorning it.
Qing Court Collection and illustrated in the Imperial China and made from various media Above all, the pair is surmounted by opulent
Compendium of Collections in the Palace to adorn halls and throne rooms throughout richly gilt vases finely decorated with archaistic
Museum: Enamels 3, Cloisonné in the Qing the Imperial palaces. They are associated taotie masks and champlevé lotus blossoms
Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, pp.313, no.272 with strength, wisdom and long-life and are and lappets, making the present pair a rare
also significant animals within the Buddhist example of its type.
religion. A prominent member of the Buddhist

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