Page 114 - Nov 28 Chinese Art Hong Kong

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A VERY RARE IMPERIAL CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL AND
OPENWORK GILT-BRONZE ‘FIVE-DRAGON’ BOX AND COVER
Incised Qianlong six-character mark and of the period
The quatrefoil box standing on three cloud-shaped feet, brilliantly
decorated in bright enamels of red, yellow and blue on a rich turquoise
ground with four gilt-bordered cartouches enclosing leafy floral blooms
framed within flowerhead diaper borders, the gilt-bronze domed cover
exquisitely and intricately rendered in openwork with four five-clawed
sinuous dragons amidst undulating cloud scrolls, surmounted by a
knob decorated with a front-facing dragon at the top raised on bands
of cloisonné enamel scrolling florets and lappets, wood stand.
12.8cm (5in) wide (3).

HK$1,200,000 - 1,500,000
US$150,000 - 190,000

清乾隆 銅胎掐絲琺瑯海棠式香薰 陰刻「大清乾隆年製」楷書款

The present lot exemplifies the opulence and exceptional technical 香薰銅胎，作海棠式，直壁，下承如意形四足。蓋面鏤空，飾四組五
virtuosity achieved in the cloisonné enamel ateliers during the reign of 爪雲龍，兩兩對稱盤旋於祥雲間，銅鍍金龍紋鈕，鈕壁以掐絲琺瑯飾
the Qianlong Emperor. This is evident in the combination of the superb 忍冬紋及蕉葉紋。器內露胎，外壁施淺藍琺瑯釉為地，掐絲填彩飾花
cloisonné enamel craftsmanship with the exquisite complex gilt-bronze 卉錦紋。底鍍金，鏨陰文「大清乾隆年製」楷書款。此香薰蓋部龍紋
design of four full-face five-clawed dragons amidst waves, with the 設計十分精妙，結合鑲嵌及鏤空工藝，將四組可活動龍紋扣接於如意
design cleverly allowing movement for the dragon sections, surmounted 雲紋上，取放爐蓋時，龍紋隨即移動，獨顯巧匠精工。
by a fifth five-clawed dragon on the finial. Whilst many examples of
cloisonné enamel are in the Imperial collections in Beijing and Taipei, 乾隆一朝，掐絲琺瑯燒造工藝展現出前所未有的繁榮景象，不僅產量
very few exhibit the level of sophistication and intricacy of design and 空前，用途廣泛，技術高超，造型新穎，種類繁多，且裝飾題材及
workmanship demonstrated in this remarkable box and cover. 技藝更加多樣化，此香薰即為其中一例。傳世品中，以海棠式為形制
的掐絲琺瑯器相對少見，見北京故宮博物院清宮舊藏一件清中期掐絲
It is very rare to find a gilt-bronze and cloisonné enamel box and cover of 琺瑯錦紋海棠式盒，雖為蓋盒，但其形制及紋飾均與此香薰類似，著
quatrefoil form decorated with diaper borders. The design of the flower- 錄於《故宮博物院藏品大系：琺瑯器編3清掐絲琺瑯》，北京，2011
head diaper borders was most probably inspired from textiles which are 年，頁308，編號207。
referred to as jinwen or brocade pattern. Compare a related cloisonné
enamel quatrefoil box and cover, mid-Qing dynasty, in the Qing Court
Collection, also decorated with a brocade pattern design, illustrated in
Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum, Enamels, Cloisonné
in the Qing Dynasty, 3, Beijing, 2011, p.308, no.207.

112 | BONHAMS