QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795)

Details

A PAIR OF CHINESE EXPORT FAMILLE ROSE PORCELAIN FISHBOWLS
QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795)
Each of compressed globular form, richly painted with large sprays of tree peony, lilies, asters and prunus between the pair of gilded lion-mask handles, all between decorative borders and below sprays of flowers on the neck, with further panels of foliate sprays reserved on a diaper band on the everted rim
24 in. (61 cm.) diameter (2)

Special notice

Christie's is selling all lots in this sale as agent for an organization which holds a State of New York Exempt Organization certificate. Seller explicitly reserves all trademark and trade name rights and rights of privacy and publicity in the name and image of Doris Duke. No buyer of any property in this sale will acquire any right to use the Doris Duke name or image. Seller further explicitly reserves all copyright rights in designs or other copyrightable works included in the property offered for sale. No buyer of any property in the sale will acquire the rights to reproduce, distribute copies of, or prepare derivative works of such designs or copyrightable works.

Lot Essay

For a similar single example painted with a peacock see, anonymous sale; Christie's, London, 19 June 2001 lot 334.

Important large basins like the present ones were extremely difficult to fire and very often resulted in a large percentage of kiln wasters. In China they were used as fishbowls, the fish painted in the inside adding to the effect. In the 18th Europe they usually connected with former palaces or country houses of aristocracy, as only the very wealthy could afford them; less was known about their function so that they were very often used as pots for plants or small trees. See C. Jörg, Chinese Ceramics in the Collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, 1998, p. 223.

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