31 cm. （12 1/4 in.） wide

Provenance：
S. Marchant & Son, London, 2005

Literature：
Recent Acquisitions, S. Marchant & Son, London, 2005, cat.no.76

The present lot features outstanding quality of enamelling and casting at the highest level, which is characteristic of cloisonné enamel vessels made in the Palace Workshops. This exceptional result was due to the technical virtuosity achieved at the cloisonné enamel ateliers during the Qianlong reign.

The current lot is exceptionally rare as it appears to be unique with no other published examples in Imperial collections, museum and private collections or examples sold at auction. It is extremely rare to find a cloisonné enamel incense burner in this ogee form, or any other examples supported on four with such distinctive incurving animalistic feet. The closest related example to the present lot is a gilt bronze and cloisonné enamel garlic-mouth flask, bianhu, decorated with lotus sprays, bats and ruyi clouds in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in Metal-bodied Enamel Ware. The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 2002, p.105 no.102. Although completely different in form, they both share stylistically-similar combinations of decorative elements, such as bands of ruyi borders with stud-like whorl motif, the use of similar stylised ruyi-head lotuses and six-petal layered plum blossoms floral decoration, and they further share an identical incised four-character kaishu Qianlong reign mark within double-square borders.

The archaistic motifs of the Qing Court example also seem to resonate with the concurrent themes of the current lot. Imperial works of art commissioned for the Imperial household during the Qianlong period often combine archaic-inspired forms and elements, by means of paying tribute to the achievements of the ancestors and reflecting the emperor’s appreciation of the past. For example, its unusual robust shape and sturdy short feet pay close homage to metal vessels； the bianhu shape was inspired by Han dynasty predecessors, with the origins of the prototypes traced back to as early as the Eastern Zhou dynasty. It is therefore highly probable that the current lot was made with the same intention of simulating early archaic bronze vessels. The pair of archaistic chilong handles flanking the incense burner is also another example of paying tribute to the past, particularly when the design of the ‘handles’ is too ornate to be of functional use but convey a sense of aesthetic pleasure and insinuate a respect for the ancient arts instead. For a comparable chilong handles, see an archaistic gilt bronze and cloisonné enamel tianji-shaped zun in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in op.cit., p.126, no.122.

It is interesting to note that unlike the Qing Court example, the theme of the present lot possibly represents the Qianlong emperor’s intention in paying respect to the arts and styles of his grandfather, the Kangxi emperor. For example, the current lot is strictly decorated with the classic-coloured enamels with the absence of later-coloured enamels such as the bright pink enamels, which is very much consistent to the styles of the Kangxi period. The empowering and stout form commands authority and presence； the audacious stylised lotuses enclosing ruyi-head pistils, standard-form stiff downward leaf-lappets, every cloisons encased within bold wirings, all suggest affinity to the cloisonné techniques applied during the Kangxi period. For an example of comparable leaf-lappet borders and ruyi-head lotuses of the Kangxi period, see a gilt bronze and cloisonné enamel bottle vase in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in op.cit., p.84, no.81.

One such explanation could be attributed to the close relationship between the Kangxi and Qianlong emperors. It is apparent in historical records that Qianlong was dearly beloved by his grandfather, the Kangxi emperor； to the extent where some historians believed that Kangxi appointed Yongzheng as his successor to the throne because his favorite grandson, Qianlong, shared many similar mannerisms and a similar character to him. Qianlong’s reverence for his grandfather was also evident in October 1795, where the Qianlong emperor officially announced his voluntary abdication from the throne by the spring of the following year. Despite still retaining ultimate authority as emperor emeritus until his death in 1799, it is said that Qianlong made a promise during the year of his ascension to not rule longer that his grandfather, who reigned for 80 years and is the longest reigning emperor of China.

Price estimate:
HKD: 2, 000, 000 - 2, 500, 000
USD: 256, 400 - 320, 500

Auction Result:
HKD: --