CHINE, DYNASTIE QING, ÉPOQUE QIANLONG (1736-1795)

The present incense burner is a refined example of imperial cloisonné enamel produced during the Qianlong period, combining technical sophistication with the richly ornamented aesthetic favoured at the Qing court. Its form derives from the archaic fangding ritual vessels of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, reflecting the Qianlong Emperor’s well known interest in antiquity and the reinterpretation of ancient bronzes through contemporary decorative arts. The taotie masks and geometric motifs preserve the spirit of archaic ritual design while being rendered with greater fluidity and decorative richness characteristic of Qing imperial taste.
Comparable Qianlong cloisonné enamel fangding preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing, are illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum. Enamels 2, Beijing, 2011, pls. 68 and 245; see also a related example in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Enamel Ware in the Ming and Ch’ing Dynasties, Taipei, 1999, no. 59. See related examples sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 2 December 2015, lot 3250; Christie’s London, 3 November 2020, lot 86; and Christie’s Hong Kong, 30 November 2020, lot 2911.