QIANLONG FOUR-CHARACTER INCISED MARK WITHIN A DOUBLE-SQUARE AND OF THE PERIOD (1736-1795)

Details

AN IMPERIAL CLOISONNE ENAMEL INKWELL AND COVER
QIANLONG FOUR-CHARACTER INCISED MARK WITHIN A DOUBLE-SQUARE AND OF THE PERIOD (1736-1795)
Of square shape, the sides decorated with panels of confronted archaistic dragons, the top with scrolling lotus around the central well fitted with original glass liner, the pierced gilt-metal cover with movable dragons contesting a movable flaming pearl amidst clouds below a buddhistic lion finial
4¼ in. (10.8 cm.) square, box

Provenance

Spink & Sons Ltd., London, 1994.
Sotheby's, Hong Kong, 25 April 2004, lot 65.

Literature

Far Eastern Art at Spink, Spink & Sons Ltd., London, 1994, no. 33.

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Lot Essay

Compare a set of writing utensils in the National Palace Museum, illustrated in Emperor Ch'ien-lung's Grand Cultural Enterprise, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2001, nos. I-28, I-29, I-30 and I-31, comprised of a water holder and spoon, a brushrest, an inkstone warming box and a paperweight. For archaistic dragons similar to those on the sides of the inkwell, see a small cloisonné enamel vase in the Clague Collection, published in "Chinese Cloisonné: The Robert and Marian Clague Collection", Arts of Asia, 1975, vol. 5, no. 1, p. 25.

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