Lot 5. A rare Imperial cloisonné enamel 'eight Buddhist emblems' alms bowl, Enamelled Qianlong four-character mark and of the period (1736-1795); 14.7cm (5 3/4in) diam. Estimate HK$250,000 - 350,000 (€29,000 - 40,000). Sold for HK$ 937,500 (€ 111,228). Photo: Bonhams.

Provenance: A European private collection, acquired between 1960-70, and thence by descent

Note: This remarkable cloisonné enamel alms bowl, bears the Qianlong reign mark and would have been specially commissioned for Buddhist rituals in the Qing court or as a gift to a Buddhist temple favoured by the emperor. Compare two Qianlong mark and period cloisonné enamel alms bowls of larger (15.8cm mouth diam.) and smaller (5.7cm mouth diam.) sizes, also decorated with the bajixiang motifs, illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Enamels 2, Cloisonné in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Beijing, 2011, pls.260 and 261; for another larger example (30.2cm diam.) see The Prime Cultural Relics Collected By Shenyang Imperial Palace Museum: The Enamel Volume, Liaoning, 2007, pl.1. 

The Imperial Qianlong enamelled mark on the present lot is rare in comparison to the more commonly found incised mark on a gilt-bronze ground. In style, it is a continuation of the Ming enamelled marks which can be seen on Wanli cloisonné enamel wares, see Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Enamels 1, Cloisonné in the Yuan (1271-1368) and Ming (1368-1644) Dynasties, Beijing, 2011, pls.100-106. For similar examples of Qianlong enamelled marks, see Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Enamels 2, Cloisonné in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), pls.209-210. 

Bonhams. AUCTION 23347: FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 10:00 HKT - HONG KONG, ADMIRALTY