A BEIJING ENAMEL INCENSE HOLDER BLUE ENAMEL MARK AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG

of foliate form, the shallow sides rising to radiating petals forming an everted collar around a short upright rim, the exterior finely decorated with six lotus in alternating red and blue enamel, each borne on twin foliate budding stems springing from a narrow white band encircling the footring, the barbed rim similarly painted with twelve lotus sprays in alternating pale green, pink and blue enamels, all reserved on a bright lemon-yellow ground, the interior enamelled with pale turquoise and centred with a cylindrical socket, the rims with thick gilding, the white base inscribed in blue enamel with a four-character reign mark within a double square

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 30th October 2002, lot 214.

There is some light wear and light scratches in areas to the enamels, but overall the incense holder is in very good condition.
"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 thick gilding covering the rims of this piece is in accord with Yang Boda (Tribute from Guangdong to the Qing Court, Hong Kong, 1987, p. 52) a characteristic of Beijing enamel ware, while he describes Guangzhou gilding as thinner and paler with a slight straw-coloured tinge and a different gloss.

An identical Beijing enamel incense stick holder of Yongzheng mark and period, with a pierced bronze cover, is in the Museum of East Asian Art, Bath; it was included in the Museum's Inuagural Exhibition: Chinese Metalwares and Decorative Arts, Bath, 1993, cat. no. 310, and is also illustrated in Hugh Moss, By Imperial Command, Hong Kong, 1976, pl. 17. These pieces may have been modelled after flower-shaped dishes of Kangxi mark and period, similarly painted with formal lotus scrolls on a yellow ground, of which one example is preserved in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, see Enamel Ware in the Ming and Ch'ing Dynasties, Taipei, 1999, pl. 93; and another from the Qing court collection is still in Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Metal-bodied Enamel Ware, Hong Kong, 2002, pl. 182.