A PLASTER MODEL OF A BELL

QING DYNASTY (1644-1911)

Details

A PLASTER MODEL OF A BELL
QING DYNASTY (1644-1911)
The bulbous body of the bell model is decorated with two ferocious dragons chasing the flaming pearl amidst scrolling clouds and crashing waves, interspersed by one inscription reading 'Qianlong wu shi wu nian zhi', and another inscription reading 'zhong lu'. The finial is formed in the shape of two conjoined dragons.
10¾ in. (27.4 cm.) high

Provenance

From a private English collection.

Brought to you by

Alexis Yuen

Check the condition report or get in touch for additional information about this

ayuen@christies.com +44 (0)20 7389 2599

If you wish to view the condition report of this lot, please sign in to your account.

View condition report

Lot Essay

The long seven-character inscription may be translated as 'made in the fifty-fifth year of Qianlong'.
See a set of sixteen gold bells dated to the Qianlong period in the Beijing Palace Museum, illustrated in The Palace Museum, Beijing, 2007, p. 170 (see. fig. 1). These bells are very similar to the present bell model, with a similar 'dragon' design and the same inscription dating the bells to the fifty-fifth year of Qianlong.
It is possible that this bell was a model produced in order to obtain imperial approval for the design before casting in a precious metal.

More from Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art

View All