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Lot Essay
The current washer belongs to a small group of Qianlong-marked doucai vessels which are distinguished by their soft palette, delicate enamelling, and gilt-decorated details.
It appears that only one other Qianlong mark and period doucai basin of this exact form has been published, which is in the Shanghai Museum Collection, included in their online database, https://www.shanghaimuseum.net/mu/frontend/pg/article/id/CI00039594 (fig.1). This shape can also be found in other glazes, such as a blue glazed washer of similar size (27.3 cm.), bearing a Qianlong six-character iron red mark, in the Palace Museum, Taipei, accession number zhongci 003586N (fig.2).
It is possible that the form of the present washer is inspired by archaic bronze prototypes, such as a Han dynasty (206 BC- AD220) bronze xi with twin animal-mask handles (fig.3), illustrated in Xiqing gujian, vol.33, p30, a catalogue of early period bronzes collected in the imperial palace and published under the auspices of the Qianlong Emperor, first published in 1793.
Works of art of archaic forms and motifs found great popularity at the Qing court, especially during the Qianlong reign, as the Emperor had great admiration for the artistic accomplishments of earlier periods. The present washer is a reinterpretation of the shape of an archaic bronze, decorated with fine doucai palette, reflecting the Qianlong Emperor's archaistic pursuit accompanied by a penchant for the splendid and elaborate.
It appears that only one other Qianlong mark and period doucai basin of this exact form has been published, which is in the Shanghai Museum Collection, included in their online database, https://www.shanghaimuseum.net/mu/frontend/pg/article/id/CI00039594 (fig.1). This shape can also be found in other glazes, such as a blue glazed washer of similar size (27.3 cm.), bearing a Qianlong six-character iron red mark, in the Palace Museum, Taipei, accession number zhongci 003586N (fig.2).
It is possible that the form of the present washer is inspired by archaic bronze prototypes, such as a Han dynasty (206 BC- AD220) bronze xi with twin animal-mask handles (fig.3), illustrated in Xiqing gujian, vol.33, p30, a catalogue of early period bronzes collected in the imperial palace and published under the auspices of the Qianlong Emperor, first published in 1793.
Works of art of archaic forms and motifs found great popularity at the Qing court, especially during the Qianlong reign, as the Emperor had great admiration for the artistic accomplishments of earlier periods. The present washer is a reinterpretation of the shape of an archaic bronze, decorated with fine doucai palette, reflecting the Qianlong Emperor's archaistic pursuit accompanied by a penchant for the splendid and elaborate.