Page 84 - Chiense works of art sothebys march 14 2017 nyc

During the reign of the Qianlong Emperor, the manufacture of
champlevé, cloisonné and painted enamel products ourished
to achieve its most sophisticated level in both range and
quality. Palace archival records con rm that huge quantities
of enamel wares were produced with a wide range of designs
which included luxurious and eye-catching pieces such as this
pair of vases. Yang Boda in the catalogue to the exhibition
Tributes from Guangdong to the Qing Court, Art Gallery, The
Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1987, p. 54,
notes the high quality and quantity of champlevé wares made
in Guangzhou, adding that they were ‘second to none during
the whole Qing dynasty…’. Guangzhou had indeed become
an important artistic center as craftsmen active there were in
close contact with European missionaries and traders bringing
to China new and innovative techniques. Wares made in this
foreign technique were much sought after by the imperial
household, hence a large number of champlevé wares were
sent as tribute gift to the court in Beijing.

The form of this pair of vases was an innovation of the
Qianlong period. Flattened at the back as though cut in half
and often made in pairs, these vases which are known in a
variety of media, were commonly hung in private rooms or
inside sedan chairs. In a poem on one porcelain wall vase,
the Qianlong Emperor commented on the pleasure provided
by these vases when lled with owers, which allowed him to
enjoy their fragrance while the ‘red dust’ (cares of the world)