Lot 2809
  • 2809

AN EXTREMELY RARE PAIR OF CLOISONNE ENAMEL AND GILT-BRONZE DOUBLE-GOURD VASES MARKS AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG

Estimate
3,000,000 - 4,000,000 HKD
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Description

each vase with slightly compressed spherical lower half below a slender gilded waist encircled by a chased band of stylized lotus petal lappets, below a pear-shaped upper section with waisted neck and slightly flared mouth, all on a straight foot below a chased band of lotus petals similar to the waist, both sections of the body with four applied gilt-bronze rondels cleverly pierced with a floating, writhing dragon, the body decorated with flowering and fruiting gourd vine, the leaves and gourds in delicate shades of green and yellow with touches of black to complement the pale turquoise ground, the flowers in red and white, the chased lappets heightened with cobalt-blue, the mouth encircled by a band of stylised lotus petal lappets, the underside cast with the four-character mark within a double square

Provenance

T. B. Kitson Collection.
Sotheby's London, 30th May 1961, lot 394.
Christie's Monaco, 20th June 1988, lot 118.
Spink & Son, Ltd., London.
Mary Porter Walsh, by 1994 and until 2000.
Ralph M. Chait Galleries, New York.
Acquired from the above by the present owner, December 2000.

Condition

To one vase, there is a shallow fracture to the enamels above one roundal. The enamels may have been reinforced. Otherwise the vases are overall in very good condition. There is expected rubbing to the gilding, and scattered minor pits to the enamels, some of which have been filled in. There are two small dents to the foot of one vase, a few scattered minor shallow flakes to the enamels at the edges of the lip and foot, and a few minor flakes to the enamel at the chased lappets. The pair is very well matched.
"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."

Catalogue Note

The present pair of vases are extremely rare, there appear to be no other examples of this form and decoration published.  The highly unusual gilt-bronze bosses are pierced and carved in a virtuoso display of craftsmanship, similar to the techniques of jade carvers who would create unbroken chains and linked elements out of single stones. These vases are remarkable not only for their unusual bosses, but also for the harmonious use of coloured enamels which give a delicate softness to the surface, further enhanced by the gilt wires, rondels and lappet bands.

A pair of cloisonné and champlevé enamel vases with pierced gilt-bronze 'dragon' appliques, contrasting with a lotus scroll ground, attributed to the Qianlong period, are illustrated in Claudia Brown, Chinese Cloisonné. The Clague Collection, Phoenix, 1980, pl. 58, pp. 126-127.  Brown notes that an identical vase to the Clague vases is in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum. A fourth vase, a companion to the Clague pair and probably the mate to the V & A vase, from the Qing Court Collection, is illustrated in Metal-Bodied Enamel Ware.  The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, no. 161, p. 169.

Compare also a pair of cloisonné jardinieres, attributed to the Jiaqing period, decorated with gilt-bronze dragon roundels against a ground of Buddhist symbols among lotus scrolls, sold at Christie's New York, 20th September 2005, lot 119.  For a pair of cloisonné double-gourd vases modeled with tied scarves, bearing enameled and gilt-bronze rondels of Buddhist lions, against a ground of flowers, see Helmut Brinker and Albert Lutz, Chinese Cloisonné. The Pierre Uldry Collection, Zurich, 1989, no. 298, 298a. Compare also a cloisonné double-gourd vase with Qianlong mark and of the period, decorated with gourd vines bearing fruit with auspicious characters, without applied roundels, illustrated ibid. no. 294.

The provenance of the present pair of vases is notable for having been in the extremely important collection of cloisonné and jades  belonging to T. B. Kitson, Esq.  This collection, which included numerous impressive examples of cloisonné from the Qianlong period as well as earlier periods, was dispersed at auction in our London rooms over three sales in 1960 and 1961.