A RARE INLAID ZITAN 'DOUBLE-GOURDS' ZHADOU QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

intricately inlaid in mother-of-pearl, soapstone, stained horn, horn and lacquer, decorated with butterflies hovering among gnarled branches suspending small gourds and coiled tendrils

Good overall condition with just minor bruises at the fragile extremities. Insignificant losses and several inlays refixed to the body.
"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 superbly carved and inlaid zitan vessel is extremely rare, and no other example appears to be recorded in any private or museum collection. The form of the zhadou itself is archaistic, encapsulating the refined taste of the Qianlong Emperor, who valued works of art created in imitation of antiquity. A bamboo zhadou vessel of similar form in the Palace Museum, Beijing was included in the exhibition Views of Antiquity in the Qing Imperial Palace: Special Catalogue to Celebrate the 80th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Palace Museum, Macao Museum of Art, Macao, 2005, cat. no. 131, where it is noted that the form follows the early Shang prototype. The rendition of the inlaid gourds, intricately inlaid in a rich variety of materials, achieves exquisite naturalism through the spontaneity of the undulating scrolling gourd vines and the vividness of the detailing, including the intricate veins of the leaves. The motif of gourds was a particularly popular one on Qianlong works of art, as seen by other works of art with similar composition of gourds and scrolling vines, such as a Qianlong reign-marked enamelled snuff bottle in the Qing court collection and still in Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Snuff Bottles, Hong Kong, 2003, p. 201, no. 311.