Page 76 - Fine Asian Art, Bonhams San Francisco June 27, 2017

8106 PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE
NORTHWEST COLLECTION
8107
8106
74 | BONHAMS A CLOISONNÉ ENAMELED WHITE
ELEPHANT
18th/19th century
Standing at rest with its head turned forward
and trunk turned up, the colorfully inlaid
trappings including a covered vase resting on
a black saddle with a yellow ground tasseled
saddle cloth below a turquoise ground cloth
inlaid with a bat and chime suspended over
rocks and waves, the wires and exposed
edges finished with gilt.
7 3/8in (18.8cm) high
7 1/4in (18.5cm) long

US$10,000 - 15,000

The combination of a vase and elephant is
a visual pun for the phrase taiping youxiang
(Where there is peace, there is a sign): vase
and peace having the same sound ping,
elephant and sign using the same character
xiang. The saddle (ma’an) holding the vase
also presents another visual pun, as the
second character an in the binome (ma’an)
has the same sound as the second character
in an other word for peace, pingan. See
Terese Tse Bartholomew, Hidden Meanings in
Chinese Art (San Francisco, 2006), p. 237.,
no. 8.12; and p. 247, no. 8.26.

A white ground cloisonné elephant, of larger
size with differing ears and supporting a
double gourd vase, was sold in Bonhams,
Hong Kong sale 23440, lot 51. See also
the pair of turquoise ground cloisonné
elephants, of similar small size and head
configuration to the elephant in this sale, was
sold in Sotheby’s, New York sale 19 and 20
March 2007, lot 552 (8 5/8in, 22cm also as
18th/19th century).

PROPERTY FROM VARIOUS OWNERS

8107
A CLOISONNÉ GU-FORM VASE WITH
ANIMAL MASK DECORATION
18th century
Of slender attenuated form and constructed
in at least two sections, the interior neck and
exterior surfaces intricately inlaid in gilt wires
with a variety of animal masks picked out in
shades of blue, green and other subtle colors
against a turquoise enamel ground filled with
leiwen-shaped wires, the exposed metal
edges of the rim, foot and projecting flanges
on the central ovoid bulb all finished in gilt.
13 1/4in high

US$4,000 - 6,000