A MOULDED GOURD STEMCUP, PALACE WORKSHOPS, BEIJING SHANGWAN MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG

the rounded sides rising to an everted rim, supported on a hollow circular splayed foot with a lipped base, the exterior crisply moulded with five lotus flowers between key-fret borders encircling the mouthrim and the foot, the interior lacquered in black, the stem moulded in relief with the evenly spaced four-character mark Qianlong Shangwan ('Appreciated by the Qianlong Emperor') above a key-fret border, the footrim finished with a black-stained bone base, the gourd patinated to a warm honey-gold colour; on a carved wood stand

The stemcup is generally in quite good condition with the exception of a small 1.3 x 0.4 cm at the rim. The mouth is slightly warped. The interior and the rim have probably been re-lacquered, with the top layer slightly flaking at the mouthrim. There is a small insect hole to the bottom of the bowl above the foot. There are also some surface dents and age cracks. Moulding is crisp and clear on all sides.
"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."

This beautifully crafted stemcup is one of the extremely rare stemcup forms in this medium. It is presumed that a large gourd was grown into a mould, with the stemcup form placed upside down, the narrow, upper part of the gourd forming the stem and the top of the bulb the bowl. This may have forced the artist to lacquer both the interior of the vessel and the foot in order to hide the opening between the stem and the bowl. However, the majority of bowls known made in this medium are lacquered in the interior as can be seen from the vessel sold twice in these rooms, 29th November 1978, lot 393, and again, 8th October 2010, lot 2185, with a Kangxi reign mark and of the period. The tradition of producing such bowls continued in the 18th century with the Kangxi bowls serving as the blueprints for Qianlong period vessels; see three from the collection of Sir John Addis and now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, published in Craig Clunas, Chinese Carving, Singapore, 1996, pls. 79, 80 and 82.

The present stemcup, in its shape and size, closely follows earlier, Ming dynasty porcelain and jade cups that served as prototypes; for example, see a Yongle white-glazed stemcup and a white jade vessel, both included in the exhibition Treasures from the Snow Mountains. Gems of Tibetan Cultural Relics, Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, 2001, pls. 93 and 98, respectively.

The humble origins of the gourd and its association with the symbolism of Daoist paradise made objects in this medium highly appreciated and desirable by Chinese rulers as well as the literati elite. A major period of development in the moulding of gourds started when the Kangxi emperor commissioned gourd vessels to be made in the Palace Workshop which transformed this folk craft into an imperial art form. For a detailed discussion of the early history of moulded imperial gourds see Wang Shixiang, 'Moulded gourds', Gugong Bowuyuan yuankan, 1979, pp. 86-91, translated by Craig Clunas in Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society, no. 10, London, 1981, pp. 16-30.