.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
拍品專文
This majestic vase, distinguished by its impressive scale and quality, is one of the largest known examples of ormolu-mounted Chinese porcelain recorded in the eighteenth century. Retaining its particularly brilliant gilding, this lot was first recorded in the collection of one of the most distinguished collectionneurs amateurs of eighteenth-century France, Nicolas Beaujon. His home, the Hôtel d’Évreux, now the Palais d’Élysée, is probably the most well known hôtel particulier in all of France. Subsequently, the vase entered the collection at Woburn Abbey, the sumptuous residence of the Dukes of Bedford, until it was sold by the family some two hundred years later.
THE BEAUJON PROVENANCE
Nicolas Beaujon (1718-1786) was a prominent French financier and art patron. Born in Bordeaux into two prosperous merchant families, the Beaujons and the Delmestres, he amassed considerable wealth in the commodities trade before relocating to Paris. In 1753, he married Louise Elisabeth Bontemps, granddaughter of Alexandre Bontemps valet de chambre to Louis XIV, thereby reinforcing his social and political connections.
Beaujon played a pivotal role in financing the French state during the reign of Louis XV, most notably through substantial loans during the Seven Years' War, which secured him the influential position of fermier général, and later a seat on the Conseil d'État.
In 1773, Beaujon acquired the Hôtel d’Évreux in Paris, today the Élysée Palace, for the vast sum of one million livres. Originally constructed in 1718 by the architect Armand-Claude Mollet for the Comte d’Évreux, the hôtel had previously belonged to Madame de Pompadour. Under Beaujon’s ownership, the residence underwent extensive renovations directed by the visionary architect Etienne-Louis Boullée. After his relocation to the Hôtel d’Évreux, Beaujon began purchasing from public auctions to assemble an extensive collection of paintings, sculptures, and objets d’art.
The vase offered here was given pride of place within Beaujon’s collection at the Hôtel d’Évreux: it was displayed on a chimneypiece in the salon au cabinet des tableaux, the principal reception room of Beaujon’s private apartments. Overlooking the formal garden, this room was designed in a blue and white palette to harmonize with a garniture of three Chinese porcelain vases, including the present example.
Upon Beaujon’s death in 1786, an inventory of his collection was undertaken. The three vases, including the present lot, were listed under inventory number 704 as trois grands vases de porcelaine de Chine bleu turquin, garnis de bronze doré – 450 [livres]. The group of vases was sold at auction in April 1787, selling to the dealer Légère for 1,340 livres.
THE BEDFORD PROVENANCE
While definitive documentation of the vase's subsequent transfer remains elusive, its acquisition by the Russell family is plausible. During renovations at Woburn Abbey, Francis Russell, the 5th Duke of Bedford is known to have acquired French decorative arts, and may have purchased the vase directly from Légère. Although no record of this transaction survives, the 6th Duke, John Russell, is documented as having acquired objects from Dominique Daguerre in 1803. While the vase is not specifically listed among these purchases, the possibility that it entered the collection at this time remains strong.
Woburn Abbey, Bedfordhsire, encompassing Woburn Park and its associated buildings, was originally established in 1145 as a Cistercian monastery. The first major transformation of the site occurred circa 1630 under Francis Russell, 4th Earl of Bedford, who initiated the construction of a new manor house. A second significant phase of rebuilding was undertaken between 1747 and 1761, under the direction of architects Henry Flitcroft and John Sanderson. Further architectural modifications took place between 1787 and 1790 under the supervision of Henry Holland. Woburn Abbey housed the distinguished art collection of the Dukes of Bedford. To this day, the collection includes masterpieces by eminent artists such as Rubens, Van Dyck, Canaletto, and Velázquez. In addition to its paintings, the collection also features exceptional examples of English and French furniture from various periods, as well as an extensive assemblage of porcelain and silverware.
THE PORCELAIN
The French practice of mounting Asian ceramics in European metalwork, recorded as early as the fourteenth century, took on a new life in the eighteenth century, as gilt-bronze replaced silver as the preferred mounting medium, and mounts themselves took on new and more complex, sculptural forms. Just as the marchand-merciers of Paris were responsible for the supply of Asian porcelain to their networks of clients, so too did they maintain close networks within the guilds of bronze casters and chasers (fondeurs-ciseleurs) and gilders (doreurs), who could produce mounts to enrich their wares. By framing the precious Chinese porcelain in sumptuous ormolu, these craftsmen transformed them into entirely new objects, aligning them with the latest tastes of France’s most elite collectors. The present vase is an outstanding example of a Chinese porcelain vessel imported to France: its glaze is notable for the exceptionally even application and luminous quality, embodying the technical mastery achieved during the Qing dynasty (1644–1911).
THE MOUNTS
Although the design source and the maker of the gilt-bronze of this lot are as yet unknown, this vase can nonetheless be related to two groups of objects produced in Parisian ateliers during the third quarter of the eighteenth century: a small but distinct group of mounted Chinese porcelain wares, and the overall oeuvre of the celebrated bronzier and sculpteur Jean-Claude Chambellan Duplessis (1699-1774). The exclusive group of mounted Chinese porcelain is distinguished by a number of exceptional characteristics shared by each, including bold à la Grecque mounts, intensely- colored glazes, and impressive heights, over 50 centimeters. Furthermore, they all feature prominent lion-mask figural handles or side mounts.
Vases in this group include:
– a turquoise-glazed Ming Dynasty Chinese garden seat, mounted as a vase with a fluted collar, lion’s mask handles and a leaf-cast socle. This vase was acquired by the dealer Paillet for Louis XVI at the sale of the duc d’Aumont’s collection in 1782, and remains in the collection of the château de Versailles (obj. no. T 423 C).
– a Kangxi-period famille verte porcelain vase, known as the “Sainte-Foy vase,” sold from the Dalva collection, Christie’s, New York, 22 October 2020, lot 158.
– a turquoise-glazed Ming Dynasty Chinese garden seat sold Christie’s, King Street, 13-14 November 1984, lot 671.
– a turquoise-glazed Ming Dynasty Chinese garden seat sold Sotheby’s, Paris, 15 December 2010, lot 93.
Intriguingly, the lion masks on this group are remarkably similar to those both on the ‘vases Dulac’, and the iconic goût grec model of clock supplied by the bronzier Robert Osmond to Lalive de Jully, the celebrated early connoisseur of Neoclassicism.
The present vase also displays many of the highly recognizable characteristics of the Duplessis style, evidenced particularly by the bold design of the acanthus, volutes and fluting. The chasing to the bronze is of the highest quality, the foliage is finely cut, and the ornamentation reveals a great sense of detail. On the present vase, the base mount, particularly its acanthus and volute-cast feet, is especially close to Duplessis’ oeuvre, recalling his earlier ormolu mounts designed in the rocaille symétrisée fashion. Here, however, the sinuous Rococo curves are comparatively tamed and the Neoclassical symmetry is further developed.
Comparable prototypes in the late Rococo taste for this base model include those found on an ormolu-mounted celadon vase sold from the Rothschild collection, Christie’s, New York, 11 October 2023, lot 42, and on a pair of vases formerly in the collection of the Baron de Besenval, sold Christie’s, London, 8 July 2021, lot 4. In addition, the bases of the Besenval vases are cast with ribbon-tied reeds that feature prominently on the lid of the present vase.
A number of entries in the Livre-journal of the marchand-mercier Lazare Duvaux show that Duplessis was regularly engaged to provide mounts for Chinese porcelain (L. Courajod, Livre-Journal de Lazare Duvaux, Marchand-Bijoutier Ordinaire du Roy, 1748-1758, Paris, 1873, II, nos. 601, 1713 and 1810).
THE BEAUJON PROVENANCE
Nicolas Beaujon (1718-1786) was a prominent French financier and art patron. Born in Bordeaux into two prosperous merchant families, the Beaujons and the Delmestres, he amassed considerable wealth in the commodities trade before relocating to Paris. In 1753, he married Louise Elisabeth Bontemps, granddaughter of Alexandre Bontemps valet de chambre to Louis XIV, thereby reinforcing his social and political connections.
Beaujon played a pivotal role in financing the French state during the reign of Louis XV, most notably through substantial loans during the Seven Years' War, which secured him the influential position of fermier général, and later a seat on the Conseil d'État.
In 1773, Beaujon acquired the Hôtel d’Évreux in Paris, today the Élysée Palace, for the vast sum of one million livres. Originally constructed in 1718 by the architect Armand-Claude Mollet for the Comte d’Évreux, the hôtel had previously belonged to Madame de Pompadour. Under Beaujon’s ownership, the residence underwent extensive renovations directed by the visionary architect Etienne-Louis Boullée. After his relocation to the Hôtel d’Évreux, Beaujon began purchasing from public auctions to assemble an extensive collection of paintings, sculptures, and objets d’art.
The vase offered here was given pride of place within Beaujon’s collection at the Hôtel d’Évreux: it was displayed on a chimneypiece in the salon au cabinet des tableaux, the principal reception room of Beaujon’s private apartments. Overlooking the formal garden, this room was designed in a blue and white palette to harmonize with a garniture of three Chinese porcelain vases, including the present example.
Upon Beaujon’s death in 1786, an inventory of his collection was undertaken. The three vases, including the present lot, were listed under inventory number 704 as trois grands vases de porcelaine de Chine bleu turquin, garnis de bronze doré – 450 [livres]. The group of vases was sold at auction in April 1787, selling to the dealer Légère for 1,340 livres.
THE BEDFORD PROVENANCE
While definitive documentation of the vase's subsequent transfer remains elusive, its acquisition by the Russell family is plausible. During renovations at Woburn Abbey, Francis Russell, the 5th Duke of Bedford is known to have acquired French decorative arts, and may have purchased the vase directly from Légère. Although no record of this transaction survives, the 6th Duke, John Russell, is documented as having acquired objects from Dominique Daguerre in 1803. While the vase is not specifically listed among these purchases, the possibility that it entered the collection at this time remains strong.
Woburn Abbey, Bedfordhsire, encompassing Woburn Park and its associated buildings, was originally established in 1145 as a Cistercian monastery. The first major transformation of the site occurred circa 1630 under Francis Russell, 4th Earl of Bedford, who initiated the construction of a new manor house. A second significant phase of rebuilding was undertaken between 1747 and 1761, under the direction of architects Henry Flitcroft and John Sanderson. Further architectural modifications took place between 1787 and 1790 under the supervision of Henry Holland. Woburn Abbey housed the distinguished art collection of the Dukes of Bedford. To this day, the collection includes masterpieces by eminent artists such as Rubens, Van Dyck, Canaletto, and Velázquez. In addition to its paintings, the collection also features exceptional examples of English and French furniture from various periods, as well as an extensive assemblage of porcelain and silverware.
THE PORCELAIN
The French practice of mounting Asian ceramics in European metalwork, recorded as early as the fourteenth century, took on a new life in the eighteenth century, as gilt-bronze replaced silver as the preferred mounting medium, and mounts themselves took on new and more complex, sculptural forms. Just as the marchand-merciers of Paris were responsible for the supply of Asian porcelain to their networks of clients, so too did they maintain close networks within the guilds of bronze casters and chasers (fondeurs-ciseleurs) and gilders (doreurs), who could produce mounts to enrich their wares. By framing the precious Chinese porcelain in sumptuous ormolu, these craftsmen transformed them into entirely new objects, aligning them with the latest tastes of France’s most elite collectors. The present vase is an outstanding example of a Chinese porcelain vessel imported to France: its glaze is notable for the exceptionally even application and luminous quality, embodying the technical mastery achieved during the Qing dynasty (1644–1911).
THE MOUNTS
Although the design source and the maker of the gilt-bronze of this lot are as yet unknown, this vase can nonetheless be related to two groups of objects produced in Parisian ateliers during the third quarter of the eighteenth century: a small but distinct group of mounted Chinese porcelain wares, and the overall oeuvre of the celebrated bronzier and sculpteur Jean-Claude Chambellan Duplessis (1699-1774). The exclusive group of mounted Chinese porcelain is distinguished by a number of exceptional characteristics shared by each, including bold à la Grecque mounts, intensely- colored glazes, and impressive heights, over 50 centimeters. Furthermore, they all feature prominent lion-mask figural handles or side mounts.
Vases in this group include:
– a turquoise-glazed Ming Dynasty Chinese garden seat, mounted as a vase with a fluted collar, lion’s mask handles and a leaf-cast socle. This vase was acquired by the dealer Paillet for Louis XVI at the sale of the duc d’Aumont’s collection in 1782, and remains in the collection of the château de Versailles (obj. no. T 423 C).
– a Kangxi-period famille verte porcelain vase, known as the “Sainte-Foy vase,” sold from the Dalva collection, Christie’s, New York, 22 October 2020, lot 158.
– a turquoise-glazed Ming Dynasty Chinese garden seat sold Christie’s, King Street, 13-14 November 1984, lot 671.
– a turquoise-glazed Ming Dynasty Chinese garden seat sold Sotheby’s, Paris, 15 December 2010, lot 93.
Intriguingly, the lion masks on this group are remarkably similar to those both on the ‘vases Dulac’, and the iconic goût grec model of clock supplied by the bronzier Robert Osmond to Lalive de Jully, the celebrated early connoisseur of Neoclassicism.
The present vase also displays many of the highly recognizable characteristics of the Duplessis style, evidenced particularly by the bold design of the acanthus, volutes and fluting. The chasing to the bronze is of the highest quality, the foliage is finely cut, and the ornamentation reveals a great sense of detail. On the present vase, the base mount, particularly its acanthus and volute-cast feet, is especially close to Duplessis’ oeuvre, recalling his earlier ormolu mounts designed in the rocaille symétrisée fashion. Here, however, the sinuous Rococo curves are comparatively tamed and the Neoclassical symmetry is further developed.
Comparable prototypes in the late Rococo taste for this base model include those found on an ormolu-mounted celadon vase sold from the Rothschild collection, Christie’s, New York, 11 October 2023, lot 42, and on a pair of vases formerly in the collection of the Baron de Besenval, sold Christie’s, London, 8 July 2021, lot 4. In addition, the bases of the Besenval vases are cast with ribbon-tied reeds that feature prominently on the lid of the present vase.
A number of entries in the Livre-journal of the marchand-mercier Lazare Duvaux show that Duplessis was regularly engaged to provide mounts for Chinese porcelain (L. Courajod, Livre-Journal de Lazare Duvaux, Marchand-Bijoutier Ordinaire du Roy, 1748-1758, Paris, 1873, II, nos. 601, 1713 and 1810).