Lot Essay
The Fonthill Heirlooms Collection was formed by Alfred Morrison during the late 19th Century. It included a large quantity of Chinese works of art purchased from Lord Loch of Drylaw, brought back to Britain after the sacking of the Yuanmingyuan in 1860. A cloisonné enamel vase of identical form decorated with phoenix, perhaps the companion piece, is illustrated in Masterpieces of Chinese Enamel in the National Palace Museum, colour plate.14, and also in Great National Treasures of China, colour plate 47.