A rare pair of coral-ground 'melon' jars and covers, Qianlong gilt six-character seal marks and of the period (1736-1795)
Lot 3025. A rare pair of coral-ground 'melon' jars and covers, Qianlong gilt six-character seal marks and of the period (1736-1795); 5 in. (12.5 cm.) high. Estimate HKD 350,000 - HKD 400,000. Price realised HKD 437,500. © Christie's Images Ltd 2017
Each jar is delicately modelled in the form of a melon with six evenly spaced lobes, the domed covers are decorated with two realistically executed insect-eaten leaves and trailing vines connected by a gnarled stem which forms the finial. The boxes are covered in a vibrant coral red enamel.
Provenance: Chait Galleries, New York (according to labels)
Note: Fruit-form ceramic vessels have a long history in China dating back to the Tang Period, and remain popular in the Qing Dynasty. The form of a melon naturally lends itself very well to its transference into a porcelain jar, with its stem forming the finial of the cover. An interesting stylistic parallel can be drawn with the lifelike pyramid of trompe l’oeil persimmons on an offering stand offered at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 5 October 2016, lot 105.
Detail of a magnificent and extremely rare pair of large famille-rose stands and trompe l'oeil persimmons and pomegranates, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period (1736-1795)
Christie's. Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 29 November 2017, Hong Kong