Lot 1877. An exquisite pair of imperial Beijing enamel facetted vases, Yongzheng blue-enamel four-character marks within double squares and of the period (1723-1735); 4 1/4in. (10.6cm.) diam. Estimate HKD 5,000,000 - HKD 7,000,000. Price Realized HKD 8,420,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2010.

Each of octagonal section, the facetted sides delicately enamelled and stippled with shaped panels, each depicting a pair of geese in flight and on the banks of a river flanked by branches of millet and tree peony set against a finely shaded blue sky, the panels reserved against a vibrant yellow ground between formal lotus blooms borne on leafy stems around the neck and conforming octagonal foot, the round rim encircled by a band of keyfret, the interior enamelled turquoise, the base with the blue enamel mark reserved on a white ground, white jade inserts, wood stands, Japanese wood box (2).

Provenance: Collection of Chutaro Nakano (1862-1939), Japan, acquired in the early 20th century.

'A Feast for Autumn Guests'
Rosemary Scott - International Academic Director, Asian Art

This pair of rare and exquisite vases was made for the imperial court of the Yongzheng emperor, and exemplify the delicacy and artistic refinement of enamelled wares commissioned during his reign. Not only are the enamels and their application of the highest standard, the beautiful white jade pierced flower holders made for the mouth of each vase also represent both materials and craftsmanship of the finest quality.

An enamelled kettle with looped handle and warming stand from the Qing court collection, preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is decorated in a very similar style to the current pair of vases and is also octagonal in form (see The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - Metal Bodied Enamel Ware, Hong Kong, 2002, p. 210, no. 201). Like the vases, on each facet of the kettle is a reserved panel, bordered in blue, showing birds and flowers in a landscape setting with hazy pale blue sky. Above the kettle panels and on its lid are flowers with symmetrically-placed scrolling leaves on a yellow ground, very similar to those seen on the vases above and below the reserved panels. The Beijing kettle bears a four-character Qianlong mark, but the delicate painting style and the subtlety of the background to the panels suggests that it was made early in the reign period.

The National Palace Museum, Taipei, has in its collection a small Qianlong vase decorated in enamels on metal with a design of wild geese flying above a river bank and standing by the water with reeds and peonies (illustrated in Enamel ware in the Ming and Ch'ing Dynasties, Taipei, 1999, pp. 220-221, no. 112) similar to those on the current vases. The Qianlong vase, however has more heavily painted sky, clouds and rocks than on the Yongzheng vases, although it shares with the latter a minor band of squared spirals around the mouth. Like the Yongzheng marks on the current vases, the Qianlong mark on the small Taipei vase is a four-character mark written in blue enamel within a double square.

The theme of wild geese flying above or standing on a river banks with reeds and flowers appears on several imperial Qianlong falangcai enamelled porcelains. One is a teapot in the collection of the Percival David Foundation (illustrated by Rosemary Scott in For the Imperial Court - Qing Porcelain from the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, New York and Singapore, 1997, pp. 100-101, no. 34). A similar scene is depicted on a small Qianlong sepia enamelled falangcai porcelain cup preserved in the National Palace Museum Taipei (illustrated in Special Exhibition of Ch'ing Dynasty Enamelled Porcelains of the Imperial Ateliers, Taipei, 1992, p. 148, no. 72).

The popularity of the theme of birds on a river bank, with some of the birds on the ground and at least one flying above, in the 1730s, is confirmed by two dated Qianlong pieces in the collection of the National Place Museum, Taipei. An imperial songhua inkstone, dated to AD 1737, is decorated on the cover with egrets amongst and above reeds on a river bank (illustrated in Emperor Ch'ien-lung's Grand Cultural Enterprise, National Palace Museum, Taipei, p. 42-3, no. I-27). Wild geese standing on a river bank and flying overhead, can be seen on the convex surface of a Qianlong ivory wrist rest (illustrated in ibid., p. 55, no. I-43). The Taipei wrist rest, bears an inscription dating it to the equivalent of AD 1739.

The subject of geese on the river bank, often depicting one goose flying to join its mate on a sand bank with reeds, has a long history in Chinese painting, and can be seen as early as the Northern Song dynasty in versions of Eight Views of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers, the earliest of which appears to have been painted by Song Di (c. 1015-c. 1080). However, it seems more likely that it was a Ming dynasty painting of this subject, preserved in the Imperial collection, that may have provided inspiration for both the imperial 18th century enamelled porcelain and enamelled metalwork vessels decorated with this theme. A Ming painting by Lu Ji (fl. 1439-1505), entitled Wild Geese and Wagtails on an Autumn Islet, is preserved in the National Palace Museum, Taipei (see Gugong Shuhua tulu [Illustrated Catalogue of Painting and Calligraphy in the National Palace Museum], vol. 7, p. 179). Like most of the panels on the current vases, this painting has a strong diagonal division in its composition, reminiscent of Southern Song paintings, and one of the geese in the lower right of the composition looks up to the left as if searching the skies for its mate. In Lu Ji's painting the mate is not shown, but on the 18th century enamelled metalwork and porcelains the flying bird can usually be seen in the far upper corner.

While the pictorial attraction of this theme is obvious, its popularity can also be explained by the symbolism incorporated in the subject. Geese mate for life and so are often associated with weddings. Geese are also seen as bringers of good news, due to the role played by a goose in the story of the 2nd century official Su Wu. Geese are also mentioned in the Liji [Book of Rites] as coming as guests for the autumn, and have come to be associated with longevity. The wild goose in flight suggests the phrase fei hong yannian, 'may the flying wild goose lengthen your years'. The positioning of the geese is also significant - with the flying goose representing 'above' and the geese standing on the river bank representing 'below', to suggest the phrase huanle tian shangxia, 'happiness in the universe', where the universe is represented by 'heaven above and below'. For further discussion of this symbolism, see Terese Tse Bartholomew, 'Pious hopes carved on Chinese beads - A discussion of Rebuses and Legends in Chinese Art', Orientations, vol. 19 no. 8, August 1988, pp. 23-30.

Christie's. The Imperial Sale Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, 31 May 2010, Hong Kong