Page 46 - 2019 OctoberEnammelled Jewels Sotheby's Hong Kong

fig. 16
Carved red lacquer bowl, mark and period of Qianlong. © Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing

vase) appear often in the Workshop Records. It is unclear whether popular during the Yongzheng reign, as evidenced by a pouch-
these referred to different vessel types and whether they were shaped black lacquer box with gold outline painting currently at the
displayed on their own or used to contain flowers. Nonetheless, Palace Museum, Beijing (p. 16, fig. 4). Although this work bears no
we may reasonably surmise that the same craftsman or craftsmen reign mark, it can be dated to the Yongzheng reign by court records.
worked during and after Yongzheng’s relatively brief, 13-year reign, There are pouch-shaped vases bearing Yongzheng reign marks. The
such that they may have been responsible also for the pouch- Qianlong period also produced pouch-shaped vases and boxes. The
shaped vases ordered by the Qianlong Emperor in his third and fifth Palace Museum contains zitan pouch-shaped boxes. Pouches more
year on the throne. Regardless, the enamelled glass pouch-shaped often appear in the form of decorative motifs, as in the yangcai
vase in question, dating from the early-Qianlong period, shows clear pouch-shaped vase with sash in the Guimet Museum; and the white
stylistic continuity with the Yongzheng period, particularly in the porcelain, enamelled copper, and translucent enamel pouch-shaped
pictorial rendition of the flowing clouds and in the peach-shaped vases with sashes in the Palace Museum, Beijing (fig. 15), as well
cartouche. as the cloisonné double-vase in the same collection. It is clear
from the above examples that the pouch, as both a vessel form
The Daoguang-period Furnishing Archives records only four
and as a decorative motif, was much beloved by the Qing imperial
enamelled glass vessels, one dating from the Kangxi reign and three
family for its auspicious symbolism. Likewise, the dancing phoenix
from the Qianlong reign. Currently in the collection of the National
and the peony were motifs with beloved auspicious meanings. A
Palace Museum, Taipei, the latter three consist of a meiping vase
symbol of femininity, the phoenix appeared in Chinese artefacts
with flowers and the “three auspicious symbols”; a double gourd
throughout history and, as suggested by the Chinese saying “the
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vase; and an eight-lobed vase. Why is the pouch-shaped vase in
dragon soars and the phoenix dances”, was commonly paired with
question, undoubtedly also a masterpiece of Qianlong enamelware,
the dragon, a symbol of the emperor. Other examples of the pairing
absent in the Furnishing Archives? The Furnishing Archives
of the phoenix and the peony in the Palace Museum collection
recorded only vessels present within the Forbidden City in the 15
include a chrysanthemum-shaped lacquer basin carved and filled
year of the Daoguang reign, omitting the considerable furnishings
with gold design and with a Jiajing reign mark; a carved red lacquer
in other gardens and palaces such as the Shenyang Palace and the
bowl with a Qianlong reign mark (fig. 16); and an embroidered
Bishu Shanzhuang. Published furnishing archives of the Yiheyuan
cotton woman’s robe dating to the Qianlong period (fig. 17). The
and the Jingmingyuan also do not mention pouch-shaped vases.
vivid depictions of phoenix on all these precious artefacts are
Another consideration is that many vessels were given to imperial
aesthetically pleasing and visually striking.
relatives. The peony and phoenix patterns on the vase in question
indicate that only Qianlong’s mother and consorts had sufficient The ‘Yi and Ji’ chapter of the ancient classic Shang shu [Classic of
status to use it, suggesting that it was possibly Qianlong’s gift to his History] contains the line, “When the nine parts of the service, as
birth mother Empress Xiaoshengxian for her 50th birthday. The arranged by the Di, have all been performed, the male and female
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information provided by Sotheby’s indicates that the vase was first phoenix come with their measured gamboling (into the court).” The
recorded in the collection of Prince Gong. mythical empress of all birds, the phoenix bestows good fortune
upon us as we admire her grace and beauty.
Baofu, Chinese for “pouch”, is an auspicious homophone of
“containing good fortune”. As a decorative motif, the pouch became
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