QIANLONG PERIOD (1736-1795)

Adorned with vibrant enamel depicting various auspicious symbols, the two main scenes on each moon flask feature quails and cranes in a landscape, symbolizing wishes for "suisui pingan" (peace year after year) and "songhe tongchun" (longevity akin to the crane and pine). The narrow sides showcase lotus flowers and the Eight Buddhist Emblems associated with Daoism, serving as symbols of longevity. These details collectively suggest that the pair was a significant gift for a birthday celebration.

Moon flasks with cloisonné enamel are notably scarce, given that the form, featuring two large circular canvases, provides craftsmen with greater flexibility to design intricate decorative motifs. Compare a smaller example of a cloisonné moon flask (36.1 cm. high) adorned with rocks and peonies, as illustrated by C. Brown in Chinese Cloisonné, The Clague Collection, Phoenix Art Museum 1980, pl. 46. Additionally, two other examples with simpler handles are featured in the National Palace Museum exhibition, Enamel Ware in the Ming and Ch'ing Dynasties, Taipei, 1999. One is designed with a scene from the 'Ode on the Red Cliff' (46 cm. high), illustrated in the Catalogue, pl. 65, while the other depicts spring cultivation (46.8 cm. high), illustrated in the Catalogue, pl. 66.