Page 50 - Wolly & Wallace, July 1, 2020 Chinese Works of Art UK

47
A RARE CHINESE IMPERIAL CINNABAR LACQUER ‘WAN SHOU WU JIANG’
TEA BOWL
FOUR CHARACTER QIANLONG MARK AND OF THE PERIOD 1736-95
The U-shaped body carved with the four characters wan shou wu jiang, each contained
within a roundel enclosed by a band of ruyi-heads, the medallions set amidst scrolling
lotus on a ground of floral diaper, with further bands of ruyi-heads bordering the foot and
mouthrim, the short foot incised with key fret, with a gilt-metal liner to the interior, 12cm.
£20,000-30,000
Provenance: from a British private collection, purchased from Adrian Joseph of Allen
Management in 1994.
Cf. H Garner, Chinese Lacquer, p.147, pl.92 for a bowl of the same design with a cover from
the collection of The Victoria and Albert Museum, museum no.FE.60-1974.
Bowls with this design are believed to have been made for the Qianong Emperor’s
70th birthday. The phrase wan shou wu jiang is used as a birthday greeting and can be
translated as ‘may you enjoy infinite longevity’. Similar patterns with these characters in
medallions are also found on porcelain and cloisonné pieces.
清乾隆 御製剔紅萬壽無疆碗
《乾隆年製》篆書款
來源：英國私人收藏，1994年購於Adrian Joseph of Allen Management。
碗撇口，銅鎏金胎。通體雕朱漆雕折枝蓮花紋，由開光如意雲紋組成圈隔開，內
刻篆書字，分別為萬、壽、無、疆。口沿雕雲頭紋一圈，圈足飾迴紋，底刻《乾
隆年製》隸書款。此類碗乃為乾隆七十大壽時製，英國維多利亞及阿爾伯特博物
館有一件相似紋飾的蓋碗，編號FE. 60-1974。

48 See paragraphs 4 & 5 of our conditions of business at the back of the catalogue for additional charges on the final hammer prices