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

The shape of this vessel and the inclusion of a cover indicate that it is a spittoon or zhadou. A related painted enamel vessel with cover, identified as a covered spittoon, decorated with butterflies amidst flower sprigs, is illustrated by Chuimei Ho and Bennet Bronson in the exhibition catalogue Splendor of China's Forbidden City: The Glorious Reign of Emperor Qianlong, The Field Museum, Chicago, 2004, p. 261, no. 337, where the authors note that spittoons of this type rarely survive outside the palace. See, also, two painted enamel covered spittoons similar to the published example sold at Christie's New York, one with an interior funnel-shaped lining, sold 22 March 2007, lot 180, the other sold 26 March 2010, lot 1174. Although they have a flat everted rim and a domed cover, the shape of these spittoons is not as elegant as that of the present example, and they are not raised on supports. The style of the painting is also very different. The present spittoon has a style of painting and palette similar to that seen on a Beijing enamel yellow-ground tiered vessel and stand offered at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 5 October 2016, lot 3619. The knob on the cover of the tiered vessel is similar to that of the present example.