A LARGE SILVERED COPPER-ALLOY ‘THE FOUR HARMONIOUS FRIENDS’ RITUAL TEAPOT, TIBET, 18TH-19TH CENTURY

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A LARGE SILVERED COPPER-ALLOY ‘THE FOUR HARMONIOUS FRIENDS’ RITUAL TEAPOT, TIBET, 18TH-19TH CENTURY Applied to either side of the body are two prominent repoussé panels, one depicting the Four Harmonious Friends and the other The Sage of Long Life. The body is richly ornamented throughout, with a beaded rim below a band of lotus lappets at the base, while the shoulder is encircled by the Eight Auspicious Emblems (Bajixiang), beneath a further beaded border. The neck is similarly decorated with petal lappets, a motif repeated on the domed cover, creating a continuous ornamental scheme from base to finial. Finely worked, the vessel of gently tapering ovoid form, rising from a narrow foot to a short shoulder and tall waisted neck, surmounted by a domed cover with bud-form finial. The curved spout issues from the jaws of a horned makara, while the opposing handle is modeled as a sinuous two-horned dragon, both set against applied panels with densely chased scrolling foliage; the cover is secured to the handle by a separately chain. Dimensions: Height 34.5 cm The Four Harmonious Friends, a popular subject in Tibetan and Himalayan art, depict an elephant, monkey, hare, and partridge living together in perfect accord. According to the Jataka tale, the animals resolve to determine seniority by recalling how long each has known a great fruit tree. The elephant remembers it as a sapling, the monkey as a young tree, the hare as a seedling, while the partridge recalls having eaten the fruit from which the tree first grew. Recognizing the partridge as the eldest, the others honor him accordingly. The story serves as an allegory for harmony, respect, and the proper recognition of seniority. The four animals are often shown standing one atop another, symbolizing cooperation and mutual dependence, each contributing to the welfare of the whole. In Tibetan Buddhist contexts, the image became an auspicious emblem of social concord and ethical conduct, appearing on murals, textiles, ritual vessels, and domestic furnishings. The Sage of Long Life in Himalayan art is an iconic image of an elderly man, sage-like in bearing. He represents long life, health, harmony and wisdom. The iconic representation requires six iconographic elements to be included together to create the image of the Sage of Long Life, these are: (1) Rock of long life, (2) Water of long life, (3) Tree of long life (with peaches), (4) Man with long life, (5) Birds of long life, and (6) Antelope of long life. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams New York, 11 September 2012, lot 154 Price: USD 8,750 or approx. EUR 11,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the related modeling and decoration. Note the smaller size (28 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie’s New York, 21 September 2007, lot 216 Price: USD 10,000 or approx. EUR 14,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the related modeling and decoration. Note the smaller size (27.8 cm).

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