Lot Essay
This refined technique of using transparent enamel over a patterned metal body is unique to the Canton workshops and was developed towards the end of the 18th century. It can be seen on a number of pieces in the Palace Museum, Beijing that were presented to the Court as tributes from Guandong officials. Compare a basin similarly decorated with The Eight Buddhist Emblems using the same technique included in the joint 1987 exhibition held by the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Palace Museum, Beijing, Tributes from Guandong to the Qing Court, and illustrated in the Catalogue, p. 89, no. 56. A number of examples in the Palace Museum, Beijing are illustrated in The Complete Treasures of the Palace Museum - Metal-Bodied Enamel Ware, Vol. 43, Hong Kong, 2002, pp. 252-256. nos. 238-241.