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Lot Essay
The imagery of foreigners paying tribute to the Imperial Qing court was an auspicious theme that was particularly favoured by the Qianlong Emperor. Scenes of tribute bearers were successfully enamelled on a number of ceramics such as the Qianlong-marked vase, included in the Special Exhibition of Ch'ing Dynasty Enamelled Porcelains of the Imperial Ateliers, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1992, Catalogue, p. 275, no. 141. The theme continued into Jiaqing reign as exemplified by the magnificent pair of large vases, sold at Christie's London, 15 May 2012, lot 318; and a similar plaque sold at Christie's New York, 30 May 1991, lot 371.
Tribute scenes also found popularity in court paintings, such as the anonymous hanging scroll, 'Envoys from Vassal States and Foreign Countries Presenting Tribute to the Emperor', in the Palace Museum Collection, illustrated in Paintings by Court Artists of the Qing Court, The Complete Collection of the Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 1996, pp. 240-241, no. 64.
Tribute scenes also found popularity in court paintings, such as the anonymous hanging scroll, 'Envoys from Vassal States and Foreign Countries Presenting Tribute to the Emperor', in the Palace Museum Collection, illustrated in Paintings by Court Artists of the Qing Court, The Complete Collection of the Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 1996, pp. 240-241, no. 64.