A rare and finely painted small Beijing-enamel seal paste box and cover Mark and period of Qianlong

of small circular form with shallow rounded sides, delicately painted in bright 'famille-rose' enamels on a white-ground, the cover decorated with an eight-petalled flower head to the centre with eight projecting leaves, surrounded by scattered stylised blossoms of different colours, shapes and sizes, the blooms overlapping in places, the design continuing on the sides of the box and ending above a spiral roll border, the interior enamelled turquoise and the rims and footring gilt, the base inscribed with the four-character mark within a double square in black enamel

Collection of Andrew L. and Amanda Adams Love, New York.
Christie's New York, 20th September 2005, lot 122.

There is a small area to the rim of the cover on the exterior of approx 2.5 by 0.9cm which has been restored and repainted, and a tiny chip to the rim, approx 0.3cm. To the box, there is a small burst air bubble near the exterior of the rim, of approx 0.1cm. There is some rubbing to the gilding. Otherwise the piece is generally in very good condition overall.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The present Imperial seal box belongs to a small group of wares that were made by artists working in the Enamelling Workshop that was part of the Zaobanchu (Imperial Palace Workshop) located in the Forbidden City. By the 18th century, enamelling on metal had reached its peak and wares made in the Palace Workshop closely reflected the emperor's refined taste. Boxes of this type represented an essentially Chinese approach to design and was no doubt intended for the Qianlong emperor's personal use.

Although no other box of this design appears to be recorded, a box of this form, also with a four-character Qianlong mark in blue enamel within a square, but decorated with birds and flowers in the traditional Chinese painting style, was offered in our London rooms, 30/31st October 1994, lot 365. See also a Qianlong mark and period enamelled yu with the same stylized florette motif on a white-ground, and a painted enamel gu with this decoration, both in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Enamel Ware in the Ming and Ch'ing Dynasties, Taipei, 1999, pls. 139 and 140; and a large hexagonal vase, from the Qing Court collection and still in Beijing, with similar florette design, published in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Metal-bodied Enamel Ware, Hong Kong, 2002, pl. 213.  

Compare also a boat-shaped dish painted with this pattern, the base inscribed with the four-character Qianlong mark within a double square, included in the exhibition Chinese Painted Enamels, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, 1978, p. 63, cat.no. 63, where it is mentioned that the drawing is more mechanical than that found on a Kangxi or Yongzheng vessel painted with the same design, cat.no. 22.