Page 89 - Sothebys Speelman Gems of Chinese Art

This large and opulently decorated covered
The distinctive seal mark on the underside of the
incense burner, modelled in the form of an incense burner, enamelled in blue in zhuanshu
archaic bronze fangding vessel, would have (seal script), is also found on a European-subject
been commissioned by the Imperial court from enamelled vase illustrated by Yang Boda in
workshops at Guangzhou. Since the technique the catalogue to the exhibition Tributes from
of enamelling on metal was introduced by Jesuit Guangdong to the Qing Court, Art Gallery, The
missionaries residing in Guangzhou around 1684, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong,
the craftsmen of Guangzhou proved so proficient 1987, cat. no. 44, where the original archival
in the new craft that by 1716 the Kangxi Emperor records of the Guangdong Maritime Customs
is known to have summoned two artisans from Office and Imperial Household Workshop are
there to work in the enamel workshop of the discussed. These reveal the extent to which
Imperial Household Department in the Palace. the Imperial Household oversaw the process
By the Qianlong Emperor’s reign, the art of of production, including the Emperor himself
enamelling on metal had reached exceptionally approving specimens of the seal marks. For
high standards, and this art form continued to other examples of Qianlong reign-marked
receive the Emperor’s foremost interest and Guangzhou-enamelled metalwork decorated
patronage. with European subject matters, see a vase in the
British Museum, illustrated in Soame Jenyns and
William Watson, Chinese Art II, New York, 1980,
p. 162, pl. 113 and a fangzun-shaped vase from
the collection of Arthur Harris, sold at Bonhams
Hong Kong, 24th November 2012, lot 540.
GEMS OF CHINESE ART — THE SPEELMAN COLLECTION I 87