Page 96 - Imperial Sale Chinese Works of Art June 1 2016 HK

THE PROPERTY OF A LADY

3230

A RARE PAIR OF CLOISONNE ENAMEL AND An almost identical cloisonné enamel elephant, also draped with a
blanket decorated with a chime on waves, but against a black ground,
CHAMPLEVE FIGURES OF CAPARISONED is in the Royal Collection of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (RCIN
3493), presented to Queen Mary by Lord and Lady Granard for her
ELEPHANTS birthday on 26th May 1929. The same collection has another pair
of cloisonné enamel elephants of the same size and decoration but
QIANLONG-JIAQING PERIOD (1736-1820) in brown (RCIN 3494), also presented to Queen Mary on the same
occasion.
This pair of elephants are modelled in mirror image, each standing
A very similar pair of elephants is illustrated in an oil painting by Jean-
foursquare with its head slightly turned to one side. The white Leon Gerome in 1866, Portrait de la baronne Nathaniel de Rothschild, in
the collection of Musée d’Orsay in Paris.
body is inlaid with wavy gilded cloisons representing the wrinkled

hide. The backs are each adorned with a saddle and draped with a

blanket, one blanket decorated with a musical chime above crested

waves breaking against jagged rocks on a blue ground, the other

blanket with two lotus blooms borne on scrolls, both embellished

on the sides with champlevé borders. The saddle is further adorned

with lotus scrolls and surmounted by a be-ribboned vase decorated

in the champlevé technique.

7 Ω in. (18.9 cm.) high (2)

HK$1,800,000-2,800,000 US$240,000-360,000

94