Page 70 - 2020 December 1 Bonhams Hong Kong, Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of art

141 Y Ф
A RARE IMPERIAL GILT-BRONZE, CLOISONNÉ AND
CHAMPLEVÉ ENAMEL IVORY-INLAID ‘ELEPHANT AND VASE
GUANYIN AND SKANDA’ EMBLEM
Qianlong
The richly-gilt elephant standing foursquare with its head turned
gently to its left, the wrinkled and well-rounded body caparisoned with
ornamental trappings set with semi-precious stones, the tasselled
saddle draped with a turquoise-ground cloth detailed with diaper
pattern, supporting on its back an archaistic vase with taotie masks
on a double-lotus base, five-coloured ruyi-clouds rising from the
vase supporting a jade roundel with an ivory figure of Guanyin and a
guardian deity on the reverse, surrounded by flames, all raised on a
balustraded octagonal lotus stand on ruyi feet.
42cm (16 1/2in) high.
HKD500,000 - 800,000
US$65,000 - 100,000
清乾隆 掐絲及鏨胎琺瑯太平有象

Provenance:
Bulgari collection, Rome (label)

來源：
羅馬寶格麗家族舊藏 （標籤）

The present lot is very rare for its complete condition, as often the top 象銅胎鎏金，身帶銅製鎏金嵌寶石瓔珞，象鼻成如意形，頭微側，立
roundel inlaid with the figures is lost. The emblem is rich in auspicious 於須彌臺上，須彌臺座主體銅胎鎏金，鏨刻嵌藍色琺瑯彩，座底作如
symbolism. The ‘vase’ (ping 瓶) which puns with ‘peace’ (ping 平), and 意雲紋形，象背披掐絲琺瑯錦地紋寶毯，底部填紅彩作流蘇，寶毯之
elephant (xiang 象) which also means ‘sign’ or ‘portent’, forms a rebus 上馱俯鎏金仰蓮瓣，蓮瓣之上馱銅胎寶瓶，鏨刻饕餮紋填寶藍彩，兩
for the phrase taiping youxiang (太平有象), meaning ‘Where there is 側作鋪首銜環，瓶口吐五彩如意雲紋，雲紋之上托以火焰紋法輪，火
peace, there is an omen (or elephant)’. See also a court painting dating 焰紋填藍彩，回文攢框，框内嵌如意雲紋碧玉屏，屏上一側嵌牙雕觀
to the Qianlong reign, ‘Ten Thousand Envoys Come to Pay Tribute’ 音像，一側嵌牙雕韋陀。
depicts an elephant carrying a vase as part of a tribute procession,
illustrated by C.Ho and B.Bronson, Splendors of China’s Forbidden City: 太平有象為清宮常見裝飾，宮廷繪畫中，亦常見有吉象獻寶的畫面，
The Glorious Reign of Emperor Qianlong, London, 2004, pls.80-82. 如乾隆時期《萬國來朝圖》中，亦繪有太平有像托寶之畫面，見C.Ho
及B.Bronson,《Spelendors of China’s Forbidden City: The Glorious
The elephant is one of the auspicious symbols of Buddhism - an Reign of Emperor Qianlong》，倫敦，2004年，圖80-82。
attribute of royalty, associated with Puxian, the Bodhisattva of Universal
Benevolence, and the personification of Perfect Activity and Happiness, 大象本身也是佛教藝術常見的題材，普賢菩薩便是以大象為坐騎。加
who is often shown seated on a white elephant. The Buddhist 之頂部所嵌的觀音和韋陀，推測本件太平有象應為佛前供器，一組多
connection is underscored in the present lot by the ivory plaque of 件中的一件。北京故宮藏一組碧玉七珍，其中有太平有象立於須彌台
Guanyin in the roundel on one side, with a guardian deity, Skanda. The 上，可資比較，見《故宮博物院藏品大系玉器篇》，北京，2011年，
present lot may even have been part of a set of auspicious symbols 編號276。
used in religious rituals. Compare with a related set of Seven Royal
Treasures, including an Elephant, 18th century, illustrated in China: The 巴黎蘇富比曾售出一件類似的太平有像，但器物已不完整，2007年12
Three Emperors 1662-1795, London, 2005, p.140. 月6日，拍品編號90。

See a similar but incomplete elephant emblem, Qianlong, which was
sold at Sotheby’s Paris, 6 December 2007, lot 90.

68 | BONHAMS