An exceptionally rare gold-ground famille-rose five-piece altar set (wugong), Seal marks and period of Qianlong | 清乾隆 金地粉彩纏枝蓮八吉祥紋五供一套 《大清乾隆年製》款

An exceptionally rare gold-ground famille-rose five-piece altar set (wugong)

Seal marks and period of Qianlong

清乾隆 金地粉彩纏枝蓮八吉祥紋五供一套 《大清乾隆年製》款

comprising a censer, a pair of candlesticks, and a pair of beaker vases, the robustly potted censer of globular form rising from three cabriole legs to a waisted neck and galleried mouth, the shoulder set with a pair of gently curved upright handles with rectangular apertures, the candlesticks each with a bell-shaped base supporting a slightly compressed globular section and a wide drip-tray with slightly flared sides, with a rising tapering column surmounted by a smaller drip-pan, the beaker vases each of archaistic gu form with a bell-shaped base rising to a central bulb surmounted by a trumpet neck, each vessel finely painted in bright enamels with the 'eight Buddhist emblems' surrounded by stylized lotus blossoms borne on foliate scrolls between various borders including keyfret, ruyi collars, bands of fleur-de-lis, or other motifs, all reserved on a brilliant gilt ground extending to the interior, each with a six-character horizontal seal mark in iron-red, wood boxes (15)

Height of tallest 14¾ in., 37.3 cm