Lot Essay
An almost identical example, from the Shenyang Palace Museum, China, was included in the exhibition, Imperial Life in the Qing Dynasty, The Empress Palace, Catalogue, pp. 18-19
Details
A VERY RARE PAIR OF LARGE IMPERIAL GILT-COPPER REPOUSSE ENAMEL DOUBLE-GOURD VASES AND COVERS
QIANLONG IMPRESSED SEAL MARK AND OF THE PERIOD
Each formed as a double gourd and decorated all over with a repousse design of scrolling tendrils from which hang double-gourds of beige soapstone, the leaves filled in with enamel in shades of turquoise, deep blue and green, the star-shaped flowers with inlaid coral petals and blue and green enamel details, all set against a ring-punched ground, supported on a ring foot decorated with a key-fret design in dark blue enamel, surmounted by a fitted cover from which gnarled stems extend--27in. (69cm.) high (2)
QIANLONG IMPRESSED SEAL MARK AND OF THE PERIOD
Each formed as a double gourd and decorated all over with a repousse design of scrolling tendrils from which hang double-gourds of beige soapstone, the leaves filled in with enamel in shades of turquoise, deep blue and green, the star-shaped flowers with inlaid coral petals and blue and green enamel details, all set against a ring-punched ground, supported on a ring foot decorated with a key-fret design in dark blue enamel, surmounted by a fitted cover from which gnarled stems extend--27in. (69cm.) high (2)