IMPERIAL, JINGDEZHEN KILNS, DAOGUANG IRON-RED FOUR-CHARACTER SEAL MARK AND OF THE PERIOD (1821-1850)

Details

**A RARE FAMILLE ROSE ENAMELED PORCELAIN SNUFF BOTTLE
IMPERIAL, JINGDEZHEN KILNS, DAOGUANG IRON-RED FOUR-CHARACTER SEAL MARK AND OF THE PERIOD (1821-1850)
Of compressed spherical form, well painted with a continuous garden scene with two pairs of doves amid bamboo and orchid blossoms, sapphire stopper with silver collar
2¼ in. (5.7 cm.) high

Provenance

Robert Hall (1976)

Literature

Moss et. al., The Art of the Chinese Snuff Bottle, The J & J Collection, vol. 1, no. 220

Exhibited

Christie's, New York, 1993
Empress Place Museum, Singapore, 1994
Museum fur Kunsthandwerk, Frankfurt, 1996-1997
Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, London, 1997
Naples Museum of Art, Florida, 2002
Portland Museum of Art, Oregon, 2002
National Museum of History, Taipei, 2002
International Asian Art Fair, Seventh Regiment Armory, New York, 2003
Poly Art Museum, Beijing, 2003

Special notice

Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory and tortoiseshell. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country.

Lot Essay

It would appear that the Daoguang Emperor and his consort were fond of doves and small dogs, as subjects of paired doves and Pekinese dogs became popular during this period. Paired doves, like other paired creatures, suggest conjugal bliss. This is certainly one of the more effective and successful decorative designs of the Imperial kilns, with the simplicity of the shapes of the doves set against the grassy ground, more successful than the busy designs of many other subjects.

A Daoguang-marked enameled porcelain bottle decorated with a pair of doves on one side and a pair of Pekinese dogs on the reverse in the Palace Museum, Beijing is illustrated in Snuff Bottles - The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, p. 227, no. 348.

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