Page 200 - Sothebys Important Chinese Art April 3 2018

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AN INLAID LACQUERED WOOD Although figures of an elephant supporting a vase The Three Emperors 1662-1795, Royal Academy
AND CLOISONNE ENAMEL were widely produced in the Qianlong period, it of Arts, London, 2005, cat. no. 195, where it is
‘ELEPHANT’ INCENSE BURNER is extremely rare to find versions that combine mentioned that the Emperor commissioned Ding
lacquered wood, inlay and cloisonné enamel; only to copy a painting by Ding Yunpeng (1547-after
QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG
one other pair appears to have been published, 1628) acquired by the Emperor in 1745-1746, but
PERIOD offered at Christie’s New York, 19th September with the face of Qianlong to be substituted for the
2007, lot 177. Elephants of this type were more Bodhisattva (p. 439).
the lacquered wood well modelled to depict an
commonly made of cloisonné, such as a slightly
elephant standing foursquare with the head The elephant in China is a symbol of peace, and
smaller bronze and cloisonné enamel pair sold in
slightly turned to the left and suspending a the combination of elephant (xiang) and vase
soapstone ornament, the tusks of the beast these rooms, 8th October 2010, lot 2618; a larger (ping) is a reference to ‘peaceful times’ (taiping
cloisonné pair, from the Aristotle Onassis, Maria
rendered with ivory, the body depicted with youxiang), and is based on the saying ‘When there
Callas and Mandel collections, sold at Christie’s
wrinkled skin and adorned with a tasselled zitan is peace there are signs’. It is recorded that in the
Hong Kong, 30th May 2012, lot 2916; and a rare
caparison decorated on each side of the elephant 40th year of Qianlong (corresponding to 1776), a
with a shou medallion flanked by two bats and pair carved from cinnabar lacquer, sold in our massive cloisonné enamel elephant with a vase
London rooms, 29th October 2982, lot 248.
depicted with ruyi cloud scrolls and crashing on its back was given as tribute to the Emperor
waves within key-fret and beaded frames, The auspicious elephant was a favoured motif by Li Shiyao, Governor General of Guangdong and
supporting a removable polychrome lacquer of the Qianlong Emperor due to its association Guangxi Provinces, illustrated in The Complete
straddle picked out with auspicious motifs, with Tibet, where he was considered to be Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum.
including bats, lotus blooms and ruyi heads, an emanation of the Bodhisattva Manjushri. Metal-Bodied Enamel Ware, Hong Kong, 2022, pl.
the body of the elephant hollowed to support Manjushri was traditionally believed to have 137, where it is noted that the Qianlong Emperor
a painted wooden base below a gilt-bronze entered China on an elephant accompanied was so enamoured by it that he named it Taiping
and cloisonné enamel gu vessel, the details by four legendary figures of Buddhist thought. Youxiang (see p. 142). Furthermore, according
meticulously accentuated with various inlays, This idea is captured in the handscroll painting to Teresa Tse Bartholomew, Hidden Meanings in
including mother-of-pearl and ivory Washing the Elephant (1750) by the Qianlong Chinese Art, San Francisco, 2006, p. 237, during
l. 35.6 cm, 14 in. Emperor’s favourite Buddhist painter of the time, the Qing dynasty, live elephants carrying vases on
Ding Guanpeng (fl. c.1738-1768), from the Palace their backs appeared in processions celebrating
PROVENANCE
Museum, Beijing, included in the exhibition China. the emperor’s birthday.
The Estate of a French private collector, acquired
between the 1950s and the 1980s.
Christie’s Paris, 12th June 2012, lot 54.
HK$ 1,000,000-2,000,000
US$ 128,000-256,000
清乾隆 木嵌百寶太平有象香爐
來源：
法國私人承產收藏，1950-1980年代入藏
巴黎佳士得2012年6月12日，編號54

198 SOTHEBY’S 蘇富比