QIANLONG CAST SIX-CHARACTER SEAL MARK AND OF THE PERIOD (1736-1795)

It is rare to find vessels of this shape in the eighteenth century made of bronze. A similar bronze dou was sold at Christie's London, 18 June 2002, lot 107, and a similar gilt-bronze example was also sold at Christie's London, 20 September 2011, lot 99. Archaistic dou are more commonly found in monochrome porcelain, in particular blue glazes, after the emperor Qianlong decreed in 1748 that the vessels to be used at the Temple of Heaven were to be of blue porcelain. Margaret Medley illustrates an example of a blue-glazed version, together with illustrations of similar vessels, in 'The Illustrated Regulations for Ceremonial Paraphernalia of the Ch'ing Dynasty in the Victoria and Albert Museum', Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society, vol. 31, 1957-59, pl. 39 a, c and d.