Page 190 - Bonhams Fine Chinese Art London Nov. 2019

The Property of a Gentleman 紳士藏品

140 TP
A RARE AND LARGE IMPERIAL ‘LOTUS’
VELVET DAIS COVER
Mid-Qing Dynasty
The cover consisting of three joined panels of cut
and uncut silk velvet, centred with a large orange
blossoming lotus surrounded by six smaller blooms,
all on a dense ground of curly-leafed scroll designs
in gilt metal-wrapped thread on a black background,
enclosed within a triple border of geometric fretwork,
meandering lotus scroll and key-fret.
350cm (137 6/8in) x 190cm (74 7/8in).

£50,000 - 80,000
CNY440,000 - 710,000

清中期 金絲地絲絨纏枝蓮紋炕罩

Provenance: Danon, Rome
A European private collection

來源： 意大利羅馬古董商，Danon
歐洲私人收藏

Finely woven in brilliant shades of cinnabar red and golden yellow, the daylight. According to the ‘Records of the Great Historian’, Shiji,
sumptuous carpet evokes powerful religious associations concerning compiled during the first century BC, the alchemical method was
the attainment of immortality. first performed by the mythical Yellow Emperor and promoted by Li
Shaojun, a Han specialist in astrology, divination and geomancy. The
Emerging from the mud, lotus flowers were a highly-regarded symbol process involved the presentation of offerings to an alchemical stove in
of Buddhist purity and enlightenment, however, they also recall order to summon the supernatural beings. During this ritual, cinnabar
the transmutation of cinnabar into gold, a Daoist practice aimed at was transformed into gold and employed to manufacture food and
driving away the malignant spirits and ascending to heaven in broad drink vessels that were thought of prolonging one’s life and granting

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
188 | BONHAMS please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.