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209 For related examples of archaic designs on Qianlong
A FINE SMALL CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL VASE period cloisonné vessels, see The Complete
Qianlong five-character mark and of the period Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum:
Colourfully enamelled around the oviform body Metal-bodied Enamel Ware, Hong Kong, 2002,
with two bands of stylised taotie masks, above pls.94 and 115.
and below a narrow band of ‘C’ scrolls, rising to a
tall narrow neck with further ‘C’ scrolls and flower An additional incised character is occasionally found
heads. underneath the Qianlong four-character mark, as
12cm (4 3/4in) high in the present lot, ‘neng’ (ability). The additional
characters can be a single number between one
£18,000 - 24,000 and five; an auspicious invocation; or an apparent
HK$200,000 - 260,000 CNY170,000 - 220,000 instruction to distinguish the use and category.
However, some scholars have suggested that
清乾隆 銅胎掐絲琺瑯仿古饕餮紋小瓶 it could have been a way to number the large
「乾隆年製」、「能」楷書刻款 number of objects in a correct order. See H.Brinker
and A.Lutz, Chinese Cloisonné: The Pierre Uldry
Driven by the Qianlong emperor’s call for inspiration Collection, New York, 1989, pp.74-79.
to be derived from antiquity, decorative designs
on various art objects (including cloisonné enamel) For a related cloisonné enamel vase, Qianlong
imitated ancient bronze forms and patterns. This mark and period, see B.Quette, Cloisonné: Chinese
is demonstrated in the present vase with brightly Enamels from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties,
enamelled archaic taotie masks. New York, 2011, p.291.
