Page 98 - Christie's King St, November 8, 2016

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

†83
A RARE IMPERIAL INSCRIBED FAMILLE ROSE
OCTAGONAL VASE
JIAQING IRON-RED SIX-CHARACTER SEAL MARK
AND OF THE PERIOD (1796-1820)

The vase is of octagonal cylindrical form, slightly tapering 清嘉慶 御製粉彩四季花卉詩文八棱瓶 礬紅六字篆書款
towards the base, with the straight sides rising to an angular
shoulder and an everted gilt rim. The sides are decorated with 來源: 英國薩西克斯郡大宅舊藏
gilt-edged rectangular panels alternating between poetic
inscriptions and seasonal fowers including, peony, lotus, 御題詩文：
chrysanthemum and prunus, all reserved on a pink ground flled 錦繡堂中開畫屏，牡丹紅間老松青. 日烘始識三春麗，
with Indian lotus and foral strolls. The neck has bats suspending 嵗暮猶看百尺亭. 夭矯拏空欣得地，輝煌散彩正當庭. 一
gilt Shou characters, interspersed by eternal knots and lotus 般都是生生意，坐對從知筆有靈. 「乾」、「隆」印
on the shoulder, below dot and trefoil borders in blue and green （「蒼松牡丹」《御製詩樂善堂全集定本．卷二十四》）
enamels respectively, all supported on a ring foot decorated
with a blue-enamelled keyfret band. The interior and base are 玉鏡平鋪一帶長，紅衣翠蓋儼明粧. 不爭艶麗當春日，
covered with turquoise enamel. 獨濯清漣傍夕陽. 雲髻峩峩疑洛浦，秋風嫋嫋憶瀟湘. 鷺
11æ in. (29.7 cm.) high 鷥可是知人意，雙落明波領晚香. 「宸」、「翰」印
（「荷」《御製詩樂善堂全集定本．卷二十四》）
£200,000-300,000 $260,000-390,000
霜華點染素筆寒, 楓葉紛披柳葉殘. 籬下愛看白玉盞, 枝
€230,000-340,000 頭忽作紫金盤. 晚芳搖落香猶在, 冷艷依遲秀轉攥. 我是
詩人亦花史, 一番吟賞一番看. 「惟」、「精」印
PROVENANCE
幽谷香凝氷玉腮, 尋芳纔見一枝開. 雪封野徑行行遠, 春
Formerly in a private collection in Sussex, England. 到山村得得來. 最愛輕盈含數點, 莫愁狼籍落成堆. 明窓
雅助新詩興, 座上曾延蕚綠陪. 「惟」、「弌」印
The present vase appears to be unique with no other published (「賦得野徑尋梅見小春」《御製詩樂善堂全集定本．
examples. However, this decorative format in the combined use 卷二十七》）
of foral decorations juxtaposed with related poetic inscriptions
is known among a small group of famille rose-decorated
ceramics of the Qianlong and Jiaqing periods. A Qianlong-
marked vase with panels reserved on a famille rose-decorated
gilt-ground is illustrated in Porcelains with Cloisonne Enamel
Decoration and Famille Rose Decoration, The Complete
Collection of Treasures of the Palace Musum, Hong Kong,
1999, p. 155, pl. 137. Also from the Beijing Palace Museum
is a Jiaqing-marked vase similarly inscribed with Qianlong
poems, ibid., p. 192, pl. 169; where the author mentioned the
Qing Court archives recorded this particular group of ceramics
that were commissioned for the Emperor Emeritus, the retired
Emperor Qianlong, during the early Jiaqing reign.

The present four poems composed by the Qianlong Emperor
pay tribute to the four seasonal fowers: the peony, lotus,
chrysanthemum and prunus; and each are followed by the
seals Qianlong, chenhan, weijing and weiyi respectively.
A comparable Jiaqing-marked baluster vase with similar
decorations on a yellow ground was sold at Sotheby’s Hong
Kong, 11 April 2008, lot 2853. This sold example has four
panels: two foral and two poetic inscriptions, in praise of
Spring and Autumn. These same poems also appear on the
present vase.

The decoration of bats hanging Shou characters surrounded by
Endless Knots and lotus carries the rebus fushou mianchang,
‘May you have endless blessings and longevity’. It is interesting
the pink enamel ground of the present vase which clearly
follows the Qianlong tradition, with the colour following closely
in tone to a famille rose ‘butterfy’ vase sold at Christie’s Hong
Kong, 3 December 2008, 2388.

96 FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART