LATE QING DYNASTY

Details

A PAIR OF UNUSUAL EMBELLISHED GILT AND SILVERED METAL LANTERNS
LATE QING DYNASTY
Each made in the shape of a lotus blosson rising from a jardinière and cleverly constructed for the lotus blossom to close upon setting and open upon movement, the sides of the jardinière embellished with enamel appliques of auspicious objects framed by leafy scrolls set between ruyi and lappet borders, the everted rim embellished with jadeite and champlevé enamel appliques of sea creatures, within an outer border of ruby-red cut glass 'gems' set into the crennelated rim, all reserved on a fine filiagree ground, the 'petals' also in filiagree and springing open to reveal the lantern within
5 13/16 in. (14.7 cm.) diam. (2)

Special notice

Items which contain rubies or jadeite originating in Burma (Myanmar) may not be imported into the U.S. As a convenience to our bidders, we have marked these lots with Y. Please be advised that a purchaser¹s inability to import any such item into the U.S. or any other country shall not constitute grounds for non-payment or cancellation of the sale. With respect to items that contain any other types of gemstones originating in Burma (e.g., sapphires), such items may be imported into the U.S., provided that the gemstones have been mounted or incorporated into jewellery outside of Burma and provided that the setting is not of a temporary nature (e.g., a string).

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Lot Essay

The present lanterns belong to a group of lavishly crafted items made in Guangzhou as tribute to the Qing Court. Cut-glass embellishment was frequently used on tribute objects made in Guangzhou during the 18th century. See a clock inset with a shou character in clear and ruby-red cut glass illustrated by X. Yang and C. Zhu, Secret World of the Forbidden City: Splendors From China's Imperial Palace, Bowers Museum of Cultural Art, 2000, p. 55. See, also, p. 54, for a mid-Qing dynasty example of a 'ribbon-tied' ruby-red glass-inlaid and painted enamel double-gourd vase.

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