Page 35 - Christie's King St, November 8, 2016
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A MAGNIFICENT AND VERY RARE LARGE FAMILLE ROSE-ENAMELLED
TURQUOISE-GROUND ‘BATS’ VASE
This extraordinary vase has all the characteristics of Qianlong The dragon handles are also superbly rendered with great
period wares, evident not only from its impressive size, but also attention to details, such as the ribbed efect of their thin
the sumptuousness of its decoration. This is most apparent in muscular bodies and the gilt-painted scales on their backs and
the dazzling combination of enamelled colours used. Despite curling tails. These handles also appear on other Qianlong-
the density of decoration, each motif stands out quite distinctly marked vases, but none as well executed as on the present lot.
because of the contrast in colours, in particular the iron-red of the
bats against the rich turquoise ground. This vase also illustrates Although no other vase of identical design appears to have
the popular convention of the Qianlong period in the use of strong been published, a number of very similar features are seen
enamels as background colours, and in this case, the turquoise on vases of similarly outstanding quality produced during
enamel serves to enhance the overall decoration. the height of the Qianlong period. A doucai vase with very
similar handles in the Beijing Palace Museum Collection is
Ceramicists from the oficial workshops were encouraged to illustrated in Kangxi. Yongzheng. Qianlong, Hong Kong 1989,
experiment, and the technique of porcelain imitating other p. 389, no. 70. Similar handles can also be seen on another
material found favour with the emperor who was fascinated turquoise-ground vase, which is also decorated with a very
with the curious and archaic. The designs outlined in gilt against similar design of iron-red bats carrying auspicious emblems,
turquoise on the present vase produces the efect of porcelain sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 16 November 1988, lot 376.
imitating cloisonné enamel. In cloisonné enamel, raised lines are Compare, also, a turquoise-ground bottle vase, smaller in
applied to create ‘cloisons’ on the body of a metal vessel which are size, decorated with the same colourful clouds but moulded
then flled in with coloured glass paste and fred. On the present with an iron-red dragon wrapped around the body, sold at
vase, the gilt outlines enclose enamelled colours in emulation of Christie’s Hong Kong, The Imperial Sale, 28 April 1996, lot 55.
the cloisonné efect. A large baluster vase similarly decorated with chilong dragons
with bifurcated tails amidst closely comparable cloud-scrolls
The layout of the vase has been carefully planned, so that the on a turquoise-ground, was sold at Christie’s London, 16
bats and clouds are evenly spaced around the vase. Each bat is December 1996, lot 12. Closely related polychrome clouds
distinctively individual, delicately detailed in shades of iron-red can be found on a turquoise-ground baluster vase without
and painted in diferent poses, with some swooping upwards, handles, decorated with multicoloured dragons sold at
diving down, shown in profle, fying towards the viewer, and Christie’s London, 16 December 1996, lot 12. A turquoise-
even away from the viewer, so that only the back of the bat is ground vase of comparable size decorated with bats in fight
seen. As with the idea of porcelain imitating other material, the amidst clouds picked out in blue was sold at Sotheby’s Hong
Qianlong emperor was also very fond of all things auspicious. Kong, 8 October 2013, lot 201.
The bat is a common motif in Chinese ceramics of the Qing
dynasty, as its pronunciation, fu, is a homophone for ‘good In addition to the handles, bat design and clouds, most of the
fortune’. The theme is further highlighted by the emblems that vases in this group share similarities in the ruyi border beneath
the bats carry, which include peaches, lingzhi, pomegranate, the rim, the thick turquoise enamel ground, and the gilt Qianlong
cash symbols, fnger citrus, musical stones, wan symbols and seal mark that seems to be characteristic of vases produced in
other lucky emblems. imitation of cloisonné.
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