A CLOISONNE ENAMEL ARCHAISTIC GARNITURE SET QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

comprising a censer (fangding) and a pair of vases (fanggu); the rectangular censer with vertical barbed flanges at the corners and center of each side, twin vertical 'U' handles atop the everted lip, all supported on four scrolled blade legs joined to the body with stylized bird masks, the domed cover with pierced sides depicting dense symmetrical scrollwork centered by a ring, all surmounted by a powerful Buddhist lion, its paw on a brocade ball with windswept ribbon, the sides of the censer decorated in colourful enamels with taotie and dense angular scrollwork on a turquoise ground, the handles, cover, underside of body and partially enameled legs with complementary scrollwork; the vases of square section, the beveled body surmounted by a trumpet neck, all on a flared base, simple vertical flanges along the corners of each section, each section decorated with colorful enamels depicting taotie and angular archaistic scrollwork, divided by bands of leiwen, the interior of the mouth decorated with stylised lotus blossoms centering symmetrical curvilinear scrollwork, all on a turquoise ground, incised leiwen border to edge of lip

Sotheby's London, 14th November 2000, lot 365.
Acquired by the present owner from the above.

Cloisonné alter vessels in the form of archaic bronzes of the Shang and Zhou dynasties became popular by the Wanli period and their development culminated in the Qianlong period with garnitures comprising up to five pieces. 

The form of the present censer is closely based on archaic bronze ding as they were reproduced in woodcut illustrations of the Ming and Qing periods, such as that illustrated in Through the Prism of the Past. Antiquarian trends in Chinese Art of the 16th to 18th Century, Taipei 2003, no. II-01, p.90.  A cloisonné example of the same basic form, attributed to the Qianlong period, is illustrated ibed. III-47, p. 179.  Another example attributed to the 18th century, with similar legs and Buddhist lion finial, is illustrated in Claudia Brown, Chinese Cloisonné. The Clague Collection, Phoenix, 1980, pl. 41, p. 96. 

The design and decoration of the present pair of vases is undoubtedly based on the same source, woodblock illustrations of archaic bronzes.  A cloisonne fanggu, attributed to the late 17th century, but possibly dating to the 18th century, bearing a cast four-character Jingtai mark, is illustrated in Helmut Brinker and Albert Lutz, Chinese Cloisonne. The Pierre Uldry Collection, Zurich, 1989, pl. 211.

Compare a five piece garniture, attributed to the Qianlong period,  with censer and pair of vases of similar form and decorated with archaistic motifs, sold in our New York rooms, 1st April 2005, lot 240.

The vases and censer are complementary but may not originally have been part of the same set. The set is in good condition overall. There is expected rubbing to the gilding at the extremities, some scattered spotting and oxidization, scattered minor dings to the metal at the extremities, and pitting and fill to enamels typical of the medium. The legs of the censer are slightly loose. There are slight losses to the enamel at one upper corner of the cover, a few scattered minor flakes to the enamels, minor losses to enamel at the top of the two legs, and a new screw rejoining one leg to body. The vases are in good condition overall. To one vase, there is a copper spacer under one corner of the base.
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