A PAIR OF GILT-LACQUER VASES QING DYNASTY, EARLY 18TH CENTURY

of quatrefoil section, the bulbous body rising to a waisted neck and an upturned rim, splendidly lacquered in gold, each lobed side decorated in low relief with an ornate lotus scrollwork enclosing a peach, a wan symbol and a descending bat, the neck adorned with a frieze of archaistic plantain leaves

The vases are in overall good condition. There are small areas of restoration and retouching at the mouth and foot. Minor rubbing to the gilding, and other general surface wear.
"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 sumptuous pair of vases splendidly lacquered in gold and encapsulates the opulence of the Qing court. The design successfully fuses the auspicious motifs of bat, wan symbol and peach with elements derived from Western art, evident in the intertwined scrolling leaves on the lower body. This echoes the Rococo architectural components that adorned European style palace buildings of the Yuanming yuan, created to satisfy the Emperor’s lavish taste for the exotic as well as his desire to be seen as a universal ruler. Related vases of this type are rare, although one of similar shape in the Palace Museum, Beijing, decorated in low-relief with a panel on each quatrefoil section depicting rockworks and vegetation, surrounded by bats and ‘Eight Buddhist Emblems’, is illustrated in Zhongguo qiqi quanji [Complete series on Chinese lacquer], vol. 6, Fuzhou, 1993, pl. 153.

Compare also other carved lacquer vases of quatrefoil form, attributed to the Qianlong period, including one decorated with figures and landscape within panels, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the Museum's Special Exhibition of Palace Lacquer Objects, Taipei, 1981, cat. no. 62; another sold at Christie’s New York, 21st September 2000, lot 68, and again in these rooms, 7th April 2015, lot 3735; and a third example sold in our London rooms, 8th November 2017, lot 51.

The motif of descending bats with wan (swastika) symbols suggest a number of auspicious puns, such as hongfu (vast blessings), wanfu (ten thousand blessings), and fudao ('blessings have arrived'). Together with peaches, the fruit of immortality, the overall composition conveys the wish for blessings and longevity.