QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795)

Cloisonne enamel flower pots are very rare and the current lot is a particularly attractive example with exquisitely cast handles in the form of elegantly curling phoenixes. While lotus cartouche is a common motif frequently used on Qing cloisonne enamel vessels, they are more often depicted with a pink ground outlined by simple scrollwork. One such example is a tripod censer decorated with four pink-ground lotus cartouches in the collection of the Beijing Palace Museum, illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum - Enamels (2) - Cloisonne in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Beijing, 2011, pl. 208. The current flower pot, however, features a much rarer variation of cartouches reserved on a sapphire-blue ground, creatively contoured by archaistic chi dragons. The lavish use of details, sharp contrast of various colours and striking construction all combine to form a truly remarkable vessel for imperial use.