QIANLONG FOUR-CHARACTER SEAL MARK IN GILT AND OF THE PERIOD (1736-1795)

Emperor Qianlong was particularly fond of cloisonné enamel and inspired the creation of enamelled porcelain that imitated such aesthetic. On these porcelains, the metal wires defining various colours in cloisonné were translated into finely painted gold lines outlining the decorative motifs. The present vase exemplifies this innovative technique, demonstrating both the technical mastery and creative experimentation of the imperial workshops during the Qianlong reign.

The elephant-head handles on the present vase also derive inspiration from cloisonné enamel wares; compare to a ‘lotus’ basin preserved at the National Palace Museum, Taipei, collection no. gufa000653N (fig. 1).

For famille rose turquoise-ground comparables, see a square teapot decorated with lotus scroll motifs similarly outlined with gilt, bearing a six-character Qianlong seal mark in gold enamel on the base, also in the collection of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, collection no. zongci003317N (fig. 2). Another related famille rose turquoise-ground vase decorated with chi dragon and lotus but flanked with a pair of dragon handles, sold at Christie’s New York, 3 June 1988, lot 304 (fig. 3), and subsequently at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 21 September 2022, lot 213.