CHINA, QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795)

The rooster is one of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac and also the symbol of courage and faithfulness. Few examples of cloisonné enamel roosters are published. A realistically modelled rooster gifted by David David-Weill to Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, is illustrated in Cloisonné: Chinese Enamels from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties, New York, 2011, p. 280, pl. 111. A single cloisonné rooster sold at Christie's London, 6 November 2007, lot 103; and another example sold in the same rooms on 3 November 2009, lot 163. An almost identical pair of roosters was sold at Christie's, Hong Kong, 30 May 2012, lot 4123 (HK$3,140,000).

The present lot may be compared to a related pair modelled striding on a hexagonal pedestal base and sold at Sotheby's London, 12 July 2006, lot 109, later illustrated in Colorful, Elegant, and Exquisite: A Special Exhibition of Imperial Enamel Ware from Mr. Robert Chang's Collection, Suzhou Museum, 2007, p. 42.