AN EXTREMELY RARE SMALL GOLD PEAR-SHAPED EWER AND COVER QING DYNASTY, YONGZHENG / QIANLONG PERIOD

of finely cast pear-shaped form, delicately and intricately incised to one side with a lobed panel enclosing a stylised lotus bloom wreathed by feathery leafy scrolls, set to one side with a slender spout with a flat clasp, and to a right angle a handle terminating in zitan, inscribed to the spout with the characters Bawu sui huangjin zhong liu liang liu wei si fen, surmounted by a domed cover linked to the handle by a delicate gold chain

Please note that the inscription is inscribed on the reverse of the handle, and not on the spout as stated in the catalogue. The piece is overall in very good condition. There are old bruises and light wear to the surface, which however, do not detract from the overall appearace. There is an age crack to the reverse of the zitan handle. The cover of the spout has been replaced with metal.
"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 twelve-character inscription on this vessel reads and translates as follows:

Bawu sui, huangjin zhong liu liang liu wei si fen.

Eighty-five years, weight of yellow gold is six liang six wei and four fen.

The teapot displays a small importation mark below the neck, an owl nestled in an oval, which was used in France since 1893.

No other comparable gold ewer of this type appears to be recorded.

This elegantly shaped ewer belongs to a special group of wares presented to the Emperor as tribute item or made for the monks in the Tibetan temples in the Forbidden City. Gold was considered most auspicious by the Tibetan nobility who were keen to display their wealth and had vessels and ritual objects made of solid gold. This catered to Qianlong's lavish taste who was not only an ardent follower of Tibetan Buddhism and had many Buddhist images, stupas, scriptures and ritual implements made for his collection, but also favoured the opulent look of gold.  

Gold ewers of this type are extremely rare although a gold ewer of different form, from the Tibet Museum, was included in the exhibition Treasures from the Snow Mountain, Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, 2001, p. 198, cat.no. 108, where it is noted that 'food vessels were made of gold or other precious metals to show wealth and also it is believed they can detect whether the food is poisoned'.  

See also a gold suola (food container for monks), included in the exhibition ibid. cat.no. 103, decorated with a related lobed panel, cat.no. 103; and a gold ewer with a narrow neck and a long spout and handle, ibid.,cat.no. 101.

The form of this ewer is reminiscent of a Yongzheng painted enamel ewer with an ebony handle, from the Qing court collection and now in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Enamel Ware in the Ming and Ch'ing Dynasties, Taipei, 1999, pl. 100. (fig. 1)

General Sir James Hope Grant (1808-1875) of the British army commanded the British land forces during the 1860 expedition against China.  For his conduct in China, he received the thanks of Parliament and was gazetted the Order of Bath.  He has written his account of 1860 in 'Incidents in the China War of 1860', Edinburgh, 1875.