AN IMPERIAL CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL ‘LOTUS’ BOTTLE VASE, QIANLONG FIVE-CHARACTER MARK AND OF THE PERIOD

Published
: Galerie Zacke, Feines Altes Kunsthandwerk aus China und Japan, Vienna, 1989, pl. 4a-c, nr. 4c.

China, 1736-1795. The ovoid body supported on a slightly spreading foot, surmounted by a gently waisted slender neck, the shoulder with a gilt-bronze band, the rims also finely gilt. Neatly decorated in bright enamels with stylized lotus blooms borne on leafy scrolling vines between ruyi-head bands, the foot encircled by C-scrolls, all reserved on a turquoise ground. The base incised with a five-character mark Qianlong nianzhi yin and of the period.


Provenance:
Anton Exner (Vienna 1882 - 1952 Vienna). By descent to Walter Exner (Vienna 1911 - 2003 Bad Wildungen). Galerie Zacke, Vienna, 1989. An Austrian private collection, acquired from the above.

Condition:
Presenting very well and in fine condition commensurate with age, with old wear and expected manufacturing irregularities, including pitting and dark spots. Minor losses to enamels with associated old fills, one dent with an old repair.

Weight: 165.2 g
Dimensions: Height 11.8 cm


Based on its size and shape
, this vase was made to hold incense instruments. These types of small cloisonné vases, censers, and instruments (luping sanshi) which were made for the burning of incense had an additional character below the reign mark and were made for the Qianlong court. Some scholars have suggested that the fifth character under the Qianlong mark could have been a way to number the large group of objects in the correct order, see H. Brinker and A. Lutz, Chinese Cloisonné: The Pierre Uldry Collection, New York, 1989, pp. 74-79.


Small cloisonné vases such as the present lot
were particularly popular during the reign of Qianlong and are known to have adorned the Sanxitang (The Hall of Three Rarities), a tiny studio next to the Imperial bedchamber in the Yangxindian, as illustrated for example in The Life of Emperor Qianlong, The Macau Museum of Art, Macau, 2002. The present vase displays the ornate aesthetic and technical mastery that characterizes Imperial cloisonné wares of the High Qing period, with the characteristic vibrant colors of the enamels and the elegant execution of the linework of the cloisons only achieved during this period.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 29 May 2013, lot 2057
Price: HKD 300,000 or approx.
EUR 39,500
adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Small Cloisonne Enamel Bottle Vase, Qianlong Incised Four-Character Mark and of the Period (1736-1795)
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, decoration, and incised Qianlong reign mark. Note the similar size (12.3 cm).


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 23-24 September 2021, lot 931
Price: USD 15,000 or approx.
EUR 15,500
adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A small cloisonne enamel bottle vase, Qianlong four-character incised mark in a line and of the period (1736-1795), with an additional character Ming
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, decoration, and five-character Qianlong reign mark. Note the similar size (12.7 cm). Also note that this lot has a dent to the center of the red lotus with some loss to enamels.




乾隆五字款及年代御製銅胎掐絲琺瑯蓮紋瓶


中國，1736-1795年。鎏金口，長頸，斜肩，圓腹，圈足。藍地，銅胎掐絲琺瑯，口沿下緣飾一圈如意雲紋，頸及腹飾番蓮紋，圈足。底有陰刻“乾隆年製”橫向單行楷款，其下有一個“因”字。


出版
：
Galerie Zacke，《Feines Altes Kunsthandwerk aus China und Japan》，維也納，1989年，圖4a-c，編號4c。


來源
：
Anton Exner (維也納 1882 - 1952 Vienna)，至Walter Exner (維也納 1911 - 2003 巴特韋爾東根)；維也納Zacke藝廊，1989年；一個奧地利私人收藏，購於上述藝廊。

品相：
狀況良好，有磨損和製造缺陷，包括麻點和黑點，缺損的部分有填充物，小修處有一處凹痕。

重量：165.2 克
尺寸：高 11.8 釐米


根據這個長頸瓶的大小和形狀，
可以推測它曾是用來裝香的。這些供燒香用的小景泰藍花瓶、香爐和器具（爐瓶三事）在年號下方加了一個字，是為乾隆宮廷製作的。一些學者認為，乾隆標記下的第五個字元可能是一種以正確順序對一大組擺飾進行編號的方式，見 H. Brinker和A. Lutz，《Chinese Cloisonné: The Pierre Uldry Collection》，紐約，1989年，第 74-79頁。


小銅胎掐絲琺瑯瓶
在乾隆年間尤為流行。眾所周知，養心殿旁的三希堂內也有此類擺設。見《The Life of Emperor Qianlong》，澳門藝術博物館，澳門，2002年。此瓶展現了盛清時期宮廷景泰藍的華麗和精湛技術，琺瑯色彩鮮豔，線條優美，是這一時期所特有的。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：非常相近
拍賣：香港佳士得，2013年5月29日，lot 2057
價格：HKD 300,000（相當於今日
EUR 39,500
）
描述：清乾隆掐絲琺瑯纏枝蓮紋小瓶 《乾隆年製》楷書橫款
專家評論：比較非常相近的外形、設計和乾隆款。請注意相似的尺寸(12.3 厘米)。


拍賣結果比較：

形制：非常相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2021年9月23-24日，lot 931
價格：USD 15,000（相當於今日
EUR 15,500
）
描述：清乾隆掐絲琺瑯纏枝蓮紋小瓶《乾隆年製》及《名》千字文楷書刻款
專家評論：比較非常相近的外形、設計和五字乾隆款。請注意相似的尺寸(12.7 厘米)，以及此瓶的紅蓮花中心有凹痕，釉面有一些損失。