Page 226 - 2019 October Important Chinese Art Sotheby's Hong Kong

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A RARE CLOISONNE ENAMEL ARCHAISTIC 清乾隆 掐絲琺瑯蓮紋出戟觚
VASE, GU 《乾隆年製》款
MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG
來源：
the central bulbous section rising from a splayed foot to a
tall trumpet neck, each section divided into four sections 倫敦蘇富比2003年12月11日，編號175
by vertical flanges incised with key fret, brightly decorated Marchant，倫敦，2005年
against a turquoise ground, the central section with stylised 歐洲私人收藏
floral sprays below archaistic zoomorphic scrolls, the long 香港佳士得2013年5月29日，編號2052
neck with upright plantain lappets below stylised foliate
scrolls, all divided by bands of foliate strapwork, key fret,
lappets, foliate and classic scrolls against white, dark blue
and red grounds, the rim and feet gilt, incised to the base
with a four-character reign mark within a double square
26.5 cm, 10½ in.

PROVENANCE
Sotheby’s London, 11th December 2003, lot 175.
Marchant, London, 2005.
A European private collection.
Christie’s Hong Kong, 29th May 2013, lot 2052.
HK$ 700,000-900,000
US$ 89,500-115,000

Superbly enamelled with a rich design on a stylised significantly expanded and allocated a further six locations.
interpretation of an archaic bronze gu vessel, this vase Wares of such fine workmanship as the present were
embodies the various sources of inspiration available to the either created in one of the Enamel Workshops within the
craftsmen in order to satisfy the Qianlong Emperor’s taste Zaobanchu (Imperial Palace Workshop), located within the
for the exotic and reverence for the past. Craftsmen working Forbidden City in Beijing, or were a tributary item made for
in all media, from jade and porcelain to metal and wood, the emperor in one of the important workshops located in
were encouraged to study archaic vessels and use these as Guangzhou. Most craftsmen working in this medium in the
the basis for shapes and designs. Every aspect of the design Palace Workshop were recruited from Guangzhou where
has been carefully planned and executed to the highest there was an established tradition of cloisonné enamel
standard, as evident in the skilful application of different production.
coloured enamels.
The current vase is extremely rare, and no other closely
The luminous and luxurious nature of cloisonné enamel related example is known in any private or museum
was particularly suited to the personal taste of the Qianlong collection. However, for the more commonly found gu-form
Emperor, who commissioned an increasing number of vases, which have pronounced flaring rims and flanges, see
cloisonné furnishings for the Palace, as well as objects three examples from the Qing court collection, preserved in
for display and for the scholar’s desk. As a result, in order the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Compendium of
to meet the Emperor’s demands, on the sixth year of his Collections in the Palace Museum. Enamels, vol. 2 Cloisonne
reign, corresponding to 1741, the Enamel Workshop was in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Beijing, 2011, pls. 130-132.

Mark

224 SOTHEBY ’S IMPORTANT CHINESE ART