AN UNUSUAL PAIR OF CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL ‘BEAR AND FISH’ FLASKS AND COVERS, QIANLONG PERIOD

拍品描述

AN UNUSUAL PAIR OF CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL ‘BEAR AND FISH’ FLASKS AND COVERS, QIANLONG PERIOD Expert’s note The present pair is distinguished by its rich lapis-lazuli-blue enamel grounds and exceptionally refined gilt decoration. Eschewing the customary profusion of contrasting enamel colors, the decoration adopts a subtler, more restrained approach, allowing delicate gilt-wire scrolls to stand out against the deep, softly mottled blue. The assured modeling of the bears, complemented by the precisely articulated fish and jointed bamboo poles carried over their shoulders, displays the sculptural vitality and meticulous craftsmanship characteristic of the finest Qianlong-period animal-form enamels. Such lapis-blue grounds occur on only a small number of Qianlong cloisonné works and appear to have fallen out of use before the close of the eighteenth century. The unusual subject, ingenious construction with separate stoppers concealed beneath the removable heads, and exceptional quality of execution, together with the absence of other recorded examples of this model, strongly suggest a special commission for an important patron. For related examples bearing Qianlong marks and of the period, see a double-fish pendant with similar lapis-blue enamel ground, suspended from a gilt-bronze stand, 16.5 cm high, sold at Christie’s London, 6 November 2007, lot 96; a cloisonné model of a recumbent ram and rider, probably a brush stand, 19 cm wide, sold at Christie’s London, 16 July 2010, lot 113; and the tapir-form censer and cover included in the printed catalogue of this sale, no. 76. China, 1736-1795. Each finely modeled seated upright on its haunches, grasping a bamboo pole carried over one shoulder, with a large salmon suspended down its back. The quizzical faces are framed by swept-back tufts of fur extending from the broad mouths to just below the pointed ears. The bodies are finely decorated with archaistic scrollwork in gilt wire against rich, mottled lapis-blue enamel grounds, the paws and ears picked out in gilt. The removable heads conceal the mouths of the vessels, each fitted with a separate, small leaf-shaped stopper. Dimensions: Height 15.8 cm (each, excl. stand) Each with an old fitted wood stand. (8) Literature comparison: Compare a pair of related larger cloisonné and gilt copper lions, 52 cm long, dated to the Qing dynasty, late 18th century, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, object number 中琺000349N000000000. Compare a pair of gilt bronze and cloisonné enamel dogs, 9.5 cm long, dated to the Qianlong period, illustrated by Galerie Lamy, Brussels, on their website. Compare a pair of gilt bronze and cloisonné Buddhist lions, 18.5 cm long, dated to the 18th century, illustrated by A & J Speelman, London, on their website. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Bonhams Hong Kong, 3 December 2015, lot 16 Price: HKD 1,180,000 or approx. EUR 160,000 (for one) converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the similar gilt-wire decoration, lapis lazuli-blue enamel, and animal subject. Note the size (21 cm) and champlevé base. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 30 May 2024, lot 2939 Price: HKD 630,000 or approx. EUR 71,500 (for one) converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the related modeling and decoration. Note the different form and the size (21.8 cm).

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