18TH CENTURY

Details

A CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL RECTANGULAR WALL PLAQUE
18TH CENTURY
The plaque is decorated with an 'elephant head' vase filled with flowers, including wintersweet and nandina, surrounded by a jardinière of narcissus and lingzhi, ribbon-tied twin fish, lingzhi, peaches and firecrackers.
18 7/8 x 21¾ in. (48 x 55.3 cm.) with frame

Provenance

Spink & Son Ltd., London, 1987.

Exhibited

Spink & Son Ltd., The Minor Arts of China III, London, March - April 1987, cat. no. 106.

Lot Essay

The combination of images on this plaque is representative of the New Year. Wax plum and nandina are usually combined in New Year flower arrangements, and the narcissus, which symbolizes good fortune, purity and prosperity, is forced to bloom in time for the holiday. The firecrackers (baozhu), which are set off on New Year's day, when combined with a vase (ping), which is a pun for 'peace', form the wish (Suisui ping'an), 'May there be peace year after year'. Also included are peaches (tao) and lingzhi, both symbols of longevity.

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