A CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL ‘AUSPICIOUS SYMBOLS’ BOX AND COVER, QIANLONG TO JIAQING PERIOD
China, 1736-1821. Of domed circular form, supported on a straight foot. Finely decorated in bright enamels to the cover with a central roundel enclosing a butterfly, dragonfly, and bat amid fruiting peaches, sprouting cabbage, flowers, lingzhi, and rockwork, all against a white ground, surrounded by flying bats and small medallions enclosing finger citrons and flowerheads amid swirling clouds against a turquoise ground, repeated on the sides of the box, and framed by bands of ruyi-heads. The copper alloy foot and rims gilt.


Provenance
: London trade.

Condition
: Very good condition with some old wear and firing irregularities, including expected pitting, minor flaking, shallow scratches, and small losses. The interior with scratches and remnants of adhesive.

Weight: 303.5 g
Dimensions: Diameter 9.8 cm


The present lot is filled with auspicious imagery.
The peach and lingzhi symbolize immortality and longevity. The butterfly is a symbol of long life because the second character in butterfly (die) has the same pronunciation as the character ‘die’ meaning ‘70 or 80 years of age’. The dragonfly (qingting) represents the Confucian ideal of pureness of character because its pronunciation is similar to the word for ‘pure’ or ‘clear’ (qing). A picture of a bat can be a visual pun for good fortune or happiness, because both characters are pronounced ‘fu’. The cabbage (baicai or qingcai) is a symbol of wealth because it has the same pronunciation as the word for ‘money’ or ‘wealth’ (cai).




乾隆至嘉慶時期銅胎掐絲琺瑯植物花卉紋蓋盒


中國，1736-1821 年。 圓盒圓蓋子母口，圈足。綠松石地，盒蓋上中央開光，琺瑯描繪一隻蝴蝶、蜻蜓和蝙蝠，周圍有桃子、白菜、鮮花、靈芝和山石；外圈有飛翔的蝙蝠、佛手以及如意。盒子和盒蓋邊沿都有一周如意紋。銅合金圈足，邊緣鍍金。


來源：
倫敦古玩交易。

品相：
狀況極好，有一些磨損和燒製不規則，包括凹坑、輕微剝落、淺劃痕和小缺損。內部有劃痕和粘合劑殘留。

重量：303.5 克
尺寸：直徑 9.8 厘米