Lot Essay
Miniature vessels such as the present lot were particularly appreciated by the literati class. They were displayed in collectors' cabinets which were placed in the scholar's studio, as depicted in numerous genre paintings from the Ming to Qing periods. The present lot was possibly made to be placed in an Imperial 'treasure box'. With the evolving trend towards displaying aesthetic rather than functional objects in the cabinets, this taste for the miniature reached its apogee under the Qianlong reign.
Compare with another one also bearing a four-character Qianlong mark, although slightly taller (5,4 cm), illustrated in Chinese Cloisonné: The Pierre Uldry Collection, London, 1989, pl.237.
Compare with another one also bearing a four-character Qianlong mark, although slightly taller (5,4 cm), illustrated in Chinese Cloisonné: The Pierre Uldry Collection, London, 1989, pl.237.