Page 92 - Sotheby's Hong Kong Important Chinese Works of Art, Oct. 9, 2022

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AN EXTREMELY RARE RUBY-GROUND 清乾隆 洋彩胭脂紫地暗八仙雙鳳耳瓶
FAMILLE-ROSE 'PHOENIX'-HANDLED VASE, 《大清乾隆年製》款
SEAL MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG
30.5 cm 來源：
Catherine Teresa Santry 夫人收藏，1980年代送贈丈夫
PROVENANCE 馬錢特，倫敦
Collection of Mrs Catherine Teresa Santry, gifted to her
husband in the 1980s.
Marchant, London.
HK$ 5,000,000-7,000,000
US$ 640,000-895,000

This magnificent vase is remarkable not only for its high Qianlong reign, from the Qing Court collection and now
quality of enamelling which represents the zenith of such preserved in the National Palace Museum, Taipei (accession
technique during the Qianlong period (1736-95), but also the nos gu-ci-17957 and gu-ci-17958), illustrated in Liao Pao-
unusual selection of auspicious emblems depicted, and the show ed., Stunning Decorative Porcelains from the Ch'ien-
intricate phoenix handles. lung Reign, Taipei, 2008, pl. 31. Adorned with emblems that
Inserted among the formal flower scrolls on the body of this have long been associated with longevity, references to
vase are the Eight Daoist Emblems (anbaxian), which are celebration through the chime and the overall red colour of
relatively rarely seen on Ming (1368-1644) and Qing the vessel, this vase would have been a birthday gift tailor-
(1644-1911) porcelains, compared to their Buddhist made for sending auspicious wishes.
counterparts (bajixiang). They represent the attributes of See a similar vase painted also with formalised flowers and
the Eight Daoist Immortals: the fan of Chongli Quan, the the Eight Daoist Emblems against a ruby-red ground, but
gourd and iron crutch of Li Tieguai, the fish drum of Zhang with a slightly more angled shoulder and handles of ruyi
Guolao, the lotus of He Xiangu, the basket of flowers of Lan shape, preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated
Caihe, the sword and fly-whisk of Lü Dongbin, the pair of in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace
clappers of Cao Guojiu, and the flute of Han Xiangzi. A few Museum. Porcelains with Cloisonne Enamel Decoration and
Qianlong vessels with anbaxian amid flower and leafy scrolls Famille Rose Decoration, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 127. Compare
have been recorded; see, for example, a large doucai and also a related Qianlong ruby-ground vase, with an oviform
famille rose vase sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 30th May body painted with stylised flowers and bats, flanked by a pair
2008, lot 8888. The chime on the neck of this vase is of yellow chilong handles, but of smaller size, measuring 18.5
homophonous with the Chinese word for celebration (qing). cm in height, and the shoulder with bands of key-fret and
A similar pun is incorporated in the decoration of a pair of ruyi heads, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 27th May 2008, lot
red-ground yangcai mallet-shaped vases created in the 8th 1547.
year of the

Mark

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