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Lot Essay
Painted enamels were first imported from Europe during the Kangxi reign and by the thirtieth year of his regime at the latest, the Chinese painters had mastered the techniques of producing fine enamel works. Under Emperor Qianlong's reign, arteliers at the imperial workshops attained even higher standards in enamelling and incorporated Western techniques, such as perspective and chiaroscuro, into traditional Chinese painting style. Emperor Qianlong preferred painted enamel decoration to be 'dense' and 'delicate', and at the very start of his reign he was already encouraging the employment of Canton enamellers, many of whom had already adopted Western painting styles through their contacts via trading activities and religious missionaries. Although there are many examples of Canton enamelled works decorated with 'European subjects' from the Qianlong period, relatively few are in repoussé. Compare with a larger pair of repoussé panels given to the Court as tributes from Guangdong, both depicting scenes of traditional Chinese landscapes, illustrated in Metal-bodied Enamel Ware, The Complete Collection of the Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 2002, pp. 248-249, pls. 234-235.