拍品 76
76
RARE ET IMPORTANTE CLOCHE ARCHAISANTE EN EMAUX CLOISONNES
RARE ET IMPORTANTE CLOCHE ARCHAISANTE EN EMAUX CLOISONNES
RARE ET IMPORTANTE CLOCHE ARCHAISANTE EN EMAUX CLOISONNES
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RARE ET IMPORTANTE CLOCHE ARCHAISANTE EN EMAUX CLOISONNES
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ƒ: In addition to the regular Buyer’s premium, a c… 显示更多 PROPERTY OF A LADYFurther testament to Emperor Qianlong’s fascination with antiquity: A superb cloisonné enamel bell with Qianlong markYang YongAs a rule, the sacred rituals of the Zhou dynasty commenced with resounding music made with instruments such as bronze bells, in a bid to facilitate communion with gods and ancestral spirits. Paeans extolling the merits and virtues of forebears followed. Bronze bells from the Zhou period provided the inspiration for an archaistic cloisonné enamel bell, which will be presented this fall by Christie’s Paris (fig. 1). The bell features a loop and a pair of chi dragons as well as taotie masks against a green ground on both its flat top and in the lowest register of decoration. The raised bosses usually seen in the midsection of the bronze prototypes here give way to yellow rings flush with the surface. The upper section of the bell is decorated on one side with two chi dragons pursuing pearls, while a reign mark of Qianlong nianzhi in double squares appears between two chi dragons on the other. The entire bell is covered in rich, lustrous enamels applied in a network of wire cells, rendered with even thickness and painstaking precision, and showing few signs of spillovers. It is elegantly shaped and a pleasure to handle (weighing 4.5 kg.), and the gilding is thick and evenly applied, leaving no doubt that this is a work from the Palace workshops of the Qianlong reign.Following the inception of the Qing dynasty, three of its emperors, namely Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong, all made a point of insisting their rule be seen as part of the Chinese orthodoxy rather than that of barbarian interlopers. Against this backdrop, the Qianlong emperor presided over a period of political stability, economic prosperity and a great revival of antiquity. The dynamic, robust shapes of the prototypes of archaistic works such as the current lot subsequently morphed into more sensual forms, leading to the decline and eventual disappearance of the awe-inspiring ferocity often seen in sacred vessels from the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties. These works offer us a taste of the lasting influence of antiquity yet remain distinctly different from the originals they were based on. Published in the 20th year of the Qianlong reign, the Xiqing gujian features 42 bronze bells of various forms (fig. 2). During the 24th year of the Qianlong reign, eleven bozhong or flat-bottomed ritual bells were unearthed in Linjiangfu in Jiangxi province and later presented by the provincial governor to the Imperial court. The emperor’s own examination revealed that these were Zhou relics, and the Pengyingzaiwang in the vicinity of Yingtai was subsequently renamed Yungutang (“Hall of Rhyming Antiquity”) and was designated as the place for the collection. To mark the occasion, the emperor also composed Yungutang ji (“On the Yungutang”), which is included in Initial Collection of Imperial Literary Works, Volume VII. In the 29th year of his reign, the emperor wrote another poem entitled “In praise of a Zhou bell with a loop and decorated with chi dragons”. By the 42nd year of his reign, six more Imperial poems were composed celebrating the set, a powerful testament to his fascination with these bells. As shown in fig. 2, one prominent feature of these niuzhong or bells with a loop with dragon decoration is the taotie masks in their lowest registers, which may well have inspired the present bell.Cloisonné enamel works in the form of bronze bells are exceedingly rare. Three are now preserved in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing (fig. 3-5) and the only one to come to the open market was sold by Christie’s New York in 2008 (fig. 6). While the example shown in fig. 5 is dated to the late Qing, the other three are all from the Qianlong reign. The four cloisonné enamel Qianlong bells compare very closely in terms of workmanship, but the current lot is significantly larger than those from the Palace Museum collection (as illustrated in the table below). It is also worth noting that the present bell bears a Qianlong mark. Closer scrutiny reveals no sign of chipped glaze or wax fill-ins round the inscribed metal plate, suggesting that the cloisons that form the decorative pattern and the inscribed plate must have been affixed well before the enamel-filling and firing. In other words, there is simply no way that the reign mark could have been added at a later date. The collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing boasts some 3,600 cloisonné enamel works, yet those bearing reign marks account for less than 30%. What is the real significance of such inscriptions found on Imperial wares? According to the Qing Archives of the Imperial Workshops, one of Emperor Yongzheng’s edicts stated, “Of all the wares made, inscribe only those well-made; otherwise, no inscription is required.” The Qianlong Emperor similarly remarked, “Have someone examine the red lacquer shelf. Inscribe it if it is well-made; if not, just send it in.” Viewed in this light, it is safe to say that the present bell, with its Imperial Qianlong reign mark, must have been highly appreciated by the emperor and hugely satisfying to his aesthetic taste.
RARE ET IMPORTANTE CLOCHE ARCHAISANTE EN EMAUX CLOISONNES

CHINE, DYNASTIE QING, MARQUE INCISEE A QUATRE CARACTERES DANS UN CARTOUCHE EN BRONZE DORE ET EPOQUE QIANLONG (1736-1795)

细节
RARE ET IMPORTANTE CLOCHE ARCHAISANTE EN EMAUX CLOISONNES
CHINE, DYNASTIE QING, MARQUE INCISEE A QUATRE CARACTERES DANS UN CARTOUCHE EN BRONZE DORE ET EPOQUE QIANLONG (1736-1795)
Le registre inférieur et le dessus de la cloche sont à décor de masques de taotie bleus sur un fond vert foncé. La partie centrale est ornée de motifs archaïsants imitant les boutons des cloches de l'époque Zhou. La marque incisée dans un carré est flanquée par deux petits dragons archaïsants sur un fond turquoise. La prise est formée par deux têtes de dragons stylisés en bronze doré.
Hauteur: 27 cm. (10 5⁄8 in.)
来源
Private English Collection, acquired in the first half of the 20th century, then by descent within the family.
注意事项
ƒ: In addition to the regular Buyer’s premium, a commission of 5.5% inclusive of VAT of the hammer price will be charged to the buyer. It will be refunded to the Buyer upon proof of export of the lot outside the European Union within the legal time limit. (Please refer to section VAT refunds)
更多详情
A RARE AND IMPORTANT CLOISONNE ENAMEL ARCHAISTIC BELL
CHINA, QING DYNASTY, INCISED FOUR-CHARACTER QIANLONG MARK IN A GILT-BRONZE CARTOUCHE AND OF THE PERIOD (1736-1795)

荣誉呈献

Tiphaine Nicoul
Tiphaine Nicoul Head of department
+33 (0)1 40 76 83 75

拍品专文

A slightly larger cloisonné enamel bell is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 43 - Metal-bodied Enamel Ware, Beijing, 2002, p. 156, no. 148. Christie's New York sold a cloisonné enamel bell dating to the Yongzheng-Qianlong periods, slightly larger at 40 cm high but without an imperial reign mark, 19 March 2008, lot 366.

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