Page 22 - Bonhams Los Angelis December 14, 2022

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A PINK-GROUND DOUBLE-GOURD ‘DA JI’ WALL PLAQUE The present double-gourd ‘Da Ji’ (‘great auspiciousness’) wall plaque
Qianlong/Jiaqing period has the same design as other Qianlong and Jiaqing period wall
Molded as a flattened double-gourd vase tied at the waist with a plaques, including distinctive modeling of the ribbons, stand, and
ribbon and positioned atop an imitation stand, the center of each bat, yet appears to be unique in its pink ground and cloud pattern.
bulb with a circular reserve enclosing ‘Da’ and ‘Ji’, respectively, the Moreover, the enamels exhibit the hallmarks of high Qing dynasty
characters painted in gilt within iron-red borders, surrounded by swirls famille-rose craftsmanship with their even, well-blended tones, lustrous
of clouds in enameled in white, blue, and fuchsia against an even finish, and highly controlled brushwork. The most typical plaques of
peony-pink ground, framed on the sides by a turquoise-enameled this type bear an iron-red ground patterned with gilt fretwork and
ribbon molded with naturalistic folds accented by black lines, a molded blue bats. Examples include one from the Sir Quo-Wei Lee Collection
gilt bat alighting on the rim with wings spread, the integral stand attributed to the Qianlong period sold at Sotheby’s, Hong Kong, 2
molded and enameled to imitate carved wood, the biscuit reverse with October 2018, lot 146; another, attributed to the Qianlong - Jiaqing
a carved recession for suspension. period, sold in the same rooms, 11 July 2020, lot 3652; and a
pair attributed to the Jiaqing period sold at Sotheby’s, London, 10
13 1/2in (34.3cm) high November 2010, lot 317. A related plaque, but with a white ground
patterned with iron-red fretwork and gilt bats, attributed to the 18th
$15,000 - 25,000 century, sold at sold at Christie’s, Hong Kong, 30th October 2001, lot
743, and later at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 4th April 2012, lot 3189. See
Provenance: also a similar ‘Da Ji’ hanging vase in the Shanghai Museum, illustrated
Sara Fredericks (1903-1986), likely acquired in the 1960s in New York, in Selected Ceramics from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Hu,
thence by descent Shanghai, 1989, pl. 70.

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