Lot 234. An extremely rare and important cloisonné enamel 'pomegranates' box and cover, Xuande incised six-character marks and of the period (1426-1435); 12cm (4 3/4in) diam. Estimate £ 400,000 - 600,000 (€ 480,000 - 710,000). Sold for £ 622,750 (€ 728,319). © Bonhams 2001-2021

London - This Asian Art Week in London celebrated each November will undoubtedly be an exciting one at Bonhams. The week begins with a wide range of pieces on offer in the Asian Art sale, which will be held at Bonhams Knightsbridge on Monday 1st November. The Chinese art feast will continue with the remarkable Parry Collection of Chinese Art, offering superb and exceptionally rare Imperial works of art collected by the Parry family from as early as 1919 and kept for three generations, the sale of which will be held on 2nd November at New Bond St., London. At the same time, Bonhams will also host, to celebrate the Centenary Exhibition of the Oriental Ceramic Society, a special Loan-Exhibition of over thirty Imperial and rare ceramics and works of art which were collected by the famous collectors R.H.R Palmer and his wife Lena. The exhibition will be held from 27 October – 2nd November.

The Fine Chinese Art sale, which will be held at New Bond St., London on 2nd November offers an exceptional selection of Imperial porcelain, cloisonné enamel, jades, huanghuali furniture, and two very fine groups of textiles, from important collections across Europe and the UK.

The highlight of the sale is an extremely rare and important cloisonné enamel 'pomegranates' box and cover, Xuande incised six-character marks and of the period (1426-1435), Lot 234, estimated at £400,000-600,000 (image above). It is offered from the collection of Lord Cunliffe, having been acquired from Spink & Son in 1946, and then exhibited twice – in Venice in 1954 and by the Oriental Ceramic Society in 1957, and published by Sir Harry Garner in 1962. It is one of a very select group which includes only three other published boxes, with one in the Palace Museum, Beijing. However, as all other three are in museum or institutional collections, only the Cunliffe box remains in private hands and will become available at Bonhams for the first time in 75 years.

Lot 234. An extremely rare and important cloisonné enamel 'pomegranates' box and cover, Xuande incised six-character marks and of the period (1426-1435); 12cm (4 3/4in) diam. Estimate £ 400,000 - 600,000 (€ 480,000 - 710,000). Sold for £ 622,750 (€ 728,319). © Bonhams 2001-2021

The slightly-domed cover exquisitely enamelled in gradating tones of red, green and yellow in the centre with two ripe pomegranates, one bursting with ruby-red seeds highlighted with white, issuing from gnarled gold branches with blossoms and further smaller fruit, the undulating leaves with shades of red, yellow and blue picked with gold veins, the vertical sides of the cover and box decorated with formal lotus scrolls, the slightly recessed base incised with a Xuande six-character mark, the interior of the cover similarly incised with a six-character mark.

Provenance: Spink and Son, Ltd., London, purchased by Lord Cunliffe in 1946
Rolf, Lord Cunliffe (1899-1963), Honorary Keeper of the Far Eastern Collections at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge (collection no.E2), and thence by descent.

Published, Illustrated and Exhibited: Mostra D'Arte Cinese (Exhibition of Chinese Art), Venice, 1954, p.203, no.754
The Arts Council of Great Britain and the Oriental Ceramic Society, The Arts of The Ming Dynasty, 15 November - 14 December 1957, no.300 (published and exhibited)
H.Garner, Chinese and Japanese Cloisonné Enamels, London and Boston, 1962, pl.23 (published).

Note: Rolf, Lord Cunliffe, began collecting Chinese art in London towards the end of the Second World War. Over the next 20 years, he acquired over five hundred Chinese ceramics, jades and bronzes; buying judiciously but regularly from the best dealers in Chinese art dotted around Mayfair and St James in London, including galleries such as Bluett & Sons, John Spark, and Spink & Son. At his London flat in the heart of Mayfair, across the street from the famous Dutch dealer in Chinese art Peter Boode, he squeezed his growing collection into steel filing cabinets inconspicuously tucked away in his bathroom! Visiting collectors like the King of Sweden would spend happy hours sitting on the edge of the bath, discussing the finer points of a jade rhyton or a Junyao bowl. The present important cloisonné enamel box and cover, Xuande marks and of the period, has been a prized object in the collection, previously exhibited on two occasions, lastly in 1957, and published in the important and early publication by Sir Harry Garner in 1962.

Cloisonné enamel wares, though introduced in the 14th century during the Yuan dynasty, are widely considered to have reached artistic maturity in the early 15th century during the early Ming dynasty. In terms of their dynamic designs and powerful palettes, framed and heightened by the richly gilt wires, the Xuande period represents the pinnacle of cloisonné enamel craftsmanship as exemplified in the famous 'dragon' jars and covers in the British Museum, London and the Uldry Collection in Museum Rietberg in Zurich. The present lot is an exceptionally rare example of this early period, bearing two incised Imperial Xuande reign marks, demonstrating the bold palette and decorative features of the period, exquisitely shown in the juicy translucency of the ripe and bursting fruit.

Apart from being extensively published, the present lot is important as it is one of only four published similar cloisonné enamel boxes. Each of these four boxes is similar in form, in size (approximately 12cm diam.), in the lotus scroll decoration around the sides of the box and cover, and in the main decorative motif being a type of auspicious fruit: pomegranates, persimmons, melons and grapes. Importantly, each of these boxes are doubly marked with an incised Xuande six-character reign mark, once on the underside of the box and again on the interior of the cover. The Cunliffe box is the only one remaining in a private collection with the other three in public museums and institutions, as follows: from the Qing Court Collection in the Palace Museum, Beijing ('melons' box); Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris ('persimmons' box); and Fenton House, National Trust, London ('grapes' box). The identical features, combined with the variation of the main decorative design, suggest that the four boxes were made as a set. For illustration of the three additional boxes see: Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Enamels, 1, Beijing, 2011, p.133, no.57; B.Quette, ed., Cloisonné: Chinese Enamels from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties, New York, 2011, no.26; and H.Garner, Chinese Japanese Cloisonné Enamels, London, 1962, pl.26B.

The discussion of dating of cloisonné enamel wares has progressed significantly in recent years, allowing a clearer understanding of the progression of enamel production in China and its dating. The dating of these group of boxes has been discussed firstly by Sir Harry Garner who in his publication in 1962 suggested a second half 15th century date, whereas according to the two more recent publications noted above, which were published in 2011, these are now accepted as 'consistent with a Xuande mark and dating'.

The circular cloisonné enamel boxes all share the motif of auspicious fruits on their covers. The Cunliffe box depicts pomegranates, with their multitudinous seeds representing fertility and the desire for numerous children, as the character for children (zi 子) is homophonous with seeds (zi 籽). Likewise, the Palace Museum box is decorated with melons (die 瓞), also symbolic of fertility because of their seeds. Grapes too, as can be seen on the 'Fenton House' box, have the same meaning. Persimmons, as seen on the box in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, are pronounced shi (柿), a homophone for 'things, affairs, business' (shi 事). Persimmons thus imply that 'things go smoothly' and the pursuit of good fortune and happiness. Thus, all the fruits on the covers have extremely auspicious meanings.

See a related cloisonné enamel circular box and cover, 15th century, unmarked, decorated with hibiscus on one side and grapes on the other, which was sold at Christie's Paris, 23 June 2020, lot 22.

We are delighted to offer two rare and fine groups of Chinese textiles: The first, from an English private collection, includes textiles dating from as early as the 10th-13th century to the 18th century (Lots 220-227), many of which were acquired from Jacqueline Simcox Ltd., London, with the highlight of the group, Lot 227, an exceptionally large Imperial silk kesi 'double-dragon' wall hanging, Qianlong (1736-1795), measuring 370cm wide x 195cm high, estimated at £40,000-60,000. The second group offers a fine and rare selection of Imperial and Court textiles curated by Linda Wrigglesworth, and consigned by various owners (Lots 266-292), including an exceedingly rare Imperial chestnut-ground 'dragon' robe, Yongzheng (1723-1735), estimated at £60,000-80,000 (Lot 275). It is superbly embroidered with a profusion of cranes carrying tallies in their beak, hovering above elegant pavilions floating on the rolling waves. The designs relate to a famous Northern Song dynasty story narrating the legendary encounter between three Immortals who compare their ages by counting the long cycles each had lived.

Lot 227. An exceptionally large Imperial silk kesi 'double-dragon' wall hanging, Qianlong period (1736-1795); 307cm (120 1/2in) wide x 195cm (76 6/8in) high. Estimate £ 40,000 - 60,000 (€ 48,000 - 71,000). Sold for £ 50,250 (€ 58,768). © Bonhams 2001-2021

The impressive panel finely woven in gold and colourful threads with a pair of confronted ferocious five-clawed dragons, the scaly creatures framed by flaring horns and flowing mane, enclosing a Shou character and bat medallion, all on a dense ground of trailing five-coloured clouds on a midnight-blue ground, mounted.

Provenance: Sotheby's London, 14 May 2008, lot 679
An English private collection.

Note: Superbly woven and impressive in its exceptionally large size, this magnificent panel is a splendid testament to the scale and opulence of the Qianlong Court. The exquisite tapestry wold have probably been hung in one of the ceremonial halls for a special occasions, likely the Emperor's birthday, as suggested by the ferocious five-clawed dragons alternating with Shou characters, the wan symbols and the lingzhi fungi resting on bats: these auspicious designs convey the rebus Wan Wan Shou which may be translated as 'May you live for 10,000 years', the Imperial birthday greeting reserved for the Emperor.

Large hangings with Imperial dragon imagery were used throughout the throne rooms and palaces of the Forbidden City, displaying the same symbolic colouration and celestial landscape imagery employed on Court robes. As with throne cushions, the designs on major Court hangings were specified by Court artisans of the Ju-i-kuan, and the actual fabrication occurred in one of the Court-administered textile workshops; see J.Vollmer, Imperial Silks. Ch'ing Dynasty Textiles in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis, MA, 2000, p.949-951.

In Han Chinese thought, the five-clawed dragon was the quintessential symbol of Imperial power, embodying royalty and dominion. Capable of flying high in the sky and diving back into the sea, dragons were regarded in China as intermediaries between Heaven and Earth and empowered with extraordinary powers that compared with those of the Emperors. In conjunction with the flaming pearl, the dragon formed the visual metaphor of the good ruler who behaved wisely for the well-being of his subjects. Sumptuous silks decorated with dragons thus therefore, facilitated the Manchus' transformation of their image in the eyes of the Han populations to legitimate rulers of China.

The style of the powerful dragons decorating the present panel recalls the creatures adoring Imperial Court robes of the Qianlong period. See the side dragons decorating the lower part of a blue-ground kesi 'dragon' robe, late 18th century, illustrated by J.Vollmer, Imperial Silks. Ch'ing Dynasty Textiles in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis, MA, 2000, p.141, no.41.

Lot 275. An exceptionally rare Imperial embroidered chestnut-ground silk 'dragon' robe, Yongzheng period (1723-1735); 205.3cm (80 6/8in) wide x 138.5cm (54 1/2in) long. Estimate £ 60,000 - 80,000 (€ 71,000 - 95,000). Sold for £ 75,250 (€ 88,006). © Bonhams 2001-2021

Meticulously worked on the front and back in couched gold thread, satin stitch tiny detail of seed stitch with nine powerful, five-clawed dragons clutching or pursuing flaming pearls amidst a profusion of hovering cranes vividly depicted in different poses, some holding a tally in their beaks, all on a densely deep blue-patterned ground of stylised wan emblems and above a lishu hem beneath a sea of tumultuous waves interspersed with elaborate pavilions, with original sleeve extension and midnight-blue cuffs and collar decorated with further dragons and clouds.

Provenance: Linda Wrigglesworth Ltd., London, 1994
An Australian private collection.

Note: This remarkable robe, notable for its exquisite and complex embroidery, vivid depictions of cranes and most unusual terrestrial diagram, made of elegant pavilions floating above rolling waves, was probably made for a First Rank Prince, one of the sons of the Emperor.

A closely-related embroidered chestnut-ground robe, dated to 1738, excavated from the tomb of Prince Guo (1797-1738), seventeenth son of the Kangxi Emperor, is similarly embroidered with vivid designs of five-clawed dragons, cranes carrying tallies in their beaks and pavilions on lattice ground, illustrated by J.Vollmer, Imperial Silks. Ch'ing Dynasty Textiles in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Chicago, 2000, p.143, no.42.

According to the 'Illustrated Regulations for the Ritual Paraphernalia of the Imperial Court 'Huangchao liqi tushi 皇朝禮器圖式, edited in 1759, the brown colour for garments, qiuxiangse, was one of the five Imperial shades of yellow which could only be used by the innermost family circle of the Emperor; see J.Vollmer, Ruling from the Dragon Throne: Costumes of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Berlekey, CA, 2002, pp.85.

This exceptional robe may have been worn by the Imperial family member during birthday celebrations. The auspicious combination of the sea hai, the pavilions wu and the tallies chou carried by the cranes underscore the auspicious wish for long life, forming the rebus Haiwu Tianchou 海屋添籌, which can be translated as 'Adding tallies to the Immortal's abode above the sea'. The literary origin of the scene originated in 'Conversations of Three Old Men', from the 'Collected Writings by Su Dongpo' Dongpo zhilin 海屋添籌, by the Northern Song scholar Su Shi (1037-1101 AD). During one chance meeting of three Immortals, the topic of age was broached. Each one of the sages tried their best to exaggerate their own great age. The second sage famously boasted, 'After every cycle of the sea drying up and becoming mulberry fields, I put a strip of bamboo in my house as a counter and now the tallies have already filled ten houses'.

By the Qing dynasty, when pun rebus design became increasingly popular and the character chou 筹 for bamboo strip counter acquired a pun on shou 寿 meaning longevity, the Haiwu Tianchou 海屋添籌 phrase became a popular allusion conveying the birthday wish 'May the length of your life be eternally prolonged 'Hai wu tian shou 海屋添寿'.

The term 'sea house', haiwu, probably referred to Kunlun, the fabled fairyland of the Immortals, rising from the Oceans of Eternity which is often represented by a pavilion or mansion built atop an isle, with refined caves and lavish gardens full of propitious flowers and plants, ponds made of gold and trees made of gemstones. Imperishable and magnificent in its loftiness, this land was the perfect goal of the adept's quest for Immortality; see Wu Hung, 'Mapping Early Daoist Art: The Visual Culture of Wudoumi Dao', in S.Little, Taoism and the Arts of China, Berkeley, 2000, p.85. Cranes were also considered important constituents of Kunlun. As birds with a long life span, they were deemed celestial beings, symbolising longevity, wisdom and divine grace; see M.Wan, 'Emperor Jiajing and His Auspicious Words', in Archives of Asian Art, vol.57, pp.95-120 and P.Sturman, Cranes above Kaifeng: The Auspicious Image at the Court of Huizong, in Ars Orientalis, 1990, p.33-68.

Reinforcing the wish for extended happiness to last for eternity, the blue fret ground, so finely embroidered on the present robe, is an endless pattern incorporating the leiwen designs, meaning ten-thousand, thus forming the pun for 'May ten-thousand generations be granted happiness'.

The combination of cranes carrying tallies, pavilions and Immortal figures became a popular subject decorating objects destined for use by the Qing Court during the Yongzheng reign. See a doucai bowl, Yongzheng mark and period, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, illustrated by R.Kerr, Chinese Art and Design, London, 1997, p.57; see also a blue and white dish, Chenghua mark but Yongzheng period, from the Cleveland Museum of Art, acc.no.1989.315. See also an 18th century kesi silk panel, Ming dynasty, embroidered with cranes carrying tallies, hovering above pavilions floating in waters, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, acc.no.GU-SI-000068-00000.

'Dragon robes' were supreme significant social markers representing access to power. The right to wear such garments depended on rank and status. The Manchu rulers of the Qing dynasty were keen on projecting an evocative and powerful image of themselves, and their Court costumes conveyed legitimacy and heritage. Despite their initial reluctance to wear the same type of robes as their Ming predecessors, by the reign of the Kangxi Emperor, the Manchu elites were keen wearers of richly-ornamented 'dragon' robes on semi-formal Court occasions and official duties.

In Han Chinese thought, the five-clawed dragon was the quintessential symbol of Imperial power, embodying royalty, dominion and expressing the visual metaphor of the good ruler who behaved wisely for the wellbeing of his subjects. Capable of flying high in the sky and diving back into the sea, dragons were regarded as intermediaries between Heaven and Earth and credited with extraordinary powers that compared to those of the Emperor. Even the number nine, for the dragons depicted on the present robe, is highly evocative and likened to the power of Heaven. The multiple of three threes, nine has a long association with the Emperor. In addition, the 'Records of the Grand Historian' Shiji, completed during the first century BC, recounts that, having tamed the floods that once engulfed the land, the mythical Emperor Yu divided the territory into the Nine Provinces and collected bronze in tribute from each one. Thereafter he cast the metal into nine large tripod cauldrons. These vessels thus were at the heart of ruler's possessions and symbolic conveyers of power.

Stylistically, the five-clawed front-facing dragons and trailing wispy clouds of the present robe closely compare with their counterpart woven on an Imperial yellow-ground kesi robe, Yongzheng, in the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, acc.no.42.8.11.

The sale includes a number of Imperial porcelains from the celebrated reign of the. Qianlong Emperor. These include an exceptionally rare large Imperial Ru-type 'Eight Triagrams' moonflask, bianhu, Qianlong seal mark and of the period, estimated at £250,000-350,000 (Lot 299), from an English private collection, which demonstrates both the Emperor's interest in inspiration from earlier periods, in this case the Ru wares of the Northern Song dynasty, as well as the continuation from the Yongzheng period of the interest in Daoism. Also offered is an exceptionally rare Imperial imitation-gold ritual 'Lanca' bowl, Qianlong impressed seal mark and of the period, estimated at £150,000-200,000 (Lot 312), which encapsulates the opulent taste of the Court, technical innovation and the importance of Tibetan Buddhism in the Qing Court.

Lot 299. An exceptionally rare large Imperial Ru-type 'Eight Trigrams' moonflask, bianhu, Qianlong seal mark and of the period (1736-1795); 51.5cm (20 1/4in) high. Estimate £ 250,000 - 350,000 (€ 300,000 - 420,000). Sold for £ 312,750 (€ 365,768. © Bonhams 2001-2021

Superbly potted with a flattened circular body rising elegantly from a short spreading foot to a cylindrical neck collared with a raised ring and a lipped rim flanked by a pair of archaistic scroll handles, moulded in high relief on each side with a central domed medallion enclosing a yinyang motif encircled by the Eight Trigrams, ba gua, the ends decorated with raised bosses, covered overall in an attractive and unctuous bluish-green glaze with a network of fine crackles.

Provenance: Alfred Speelman Ltd., London
An important British private collection, acquired from the above on 5 October 1970, and thence by descent.

Note: The present vase is exceedingly rare and no other example from the Qianlong reign appears to have been published. A tour-de-force of craftsmanship, it is an exceptional example of the technical zenith achieved by potters working at the Imperial kilns in Jingdezhen during the celebrated Qianlong period. The imposing size and rare glaze would have presented multiple challenges: the first of balancing the weight of the porcelain; the second, of successfully imitating the prized Northern Song dynasty Imperial Ru glaze with its bluish tinge and fine craquelure. Both would have been affected by the kiln temperature and control of its firing conditions, requiring the most exacting standards to accomplish this ambitious feat.

In form, the impressive moonflask is inspired by an early Ming dynasty design, which in turn drew on an Islamic metal prototype; see J.A.Pope, 'An Early Ming Porcelain in Muslim Style', in R.Ettinghausen, ed., Aus der Welt der Islamischen Kunst, Festschrift für Ernst Kühnel, Berlin, 1959, pp.357-375. In glaze, the flask imitates the rarest of the 'Five Great Wares' of the Song dynasty, the Ru glaze, used on wares made for the Imperial Court during the Northern Song dynasty. In design, the Eight Trigrams, bagua, introduces a religious dimension of Daoism, whereby the trigrams - Qian, Kun, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Li, Gen and Dui, which stand for heaven, earth, thunder, wind, water, fire, mountain and marsh respectively - provided the means of assessing the present state of the world and a basis for decision-making for the future; both of great bearing to the Emperor.

The vase, although based on earlier prototypes in form, glaze and decoration, is a direct continuation of the previous Yongzheng reign; see a celadon glazed 'Eight Trigrams' moonflask, Yongzheng seal mark and of the period, illustrated in The Prime Cultural Relics Collected by Shenyang Imperial Palace Museum: The Chinaware Volume, vol.II, Liaoyang, 2008, p.61; and see also an 'Eight Trigrams' ge-type moonflask, Yongzheng seal mark and of the period, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, Museum no.ZC003964N.

The Daoist design of the present vase is a manifestation of the previous Yongzheng Emperor's known attraction to Daoist longevity practices, which included indulging in consumption of lead-based 'elixirs of life'. The Imperial Court provided patronage to the White Cloud Monastery in Beijing, and elaborate Daoist celebrations were also regularly staged around the Qianlong Emperor's birthdays. The grandest of Daoist rituals, the jiao rite of communal renewal, also received Imperial support. However, the Yongzheng Emperor's immersion in Daoist practices was an exception, as most of the Qing Emperors followed Buddhism alongside Confucian rituals of the state; see P.Berger, 'Religion', in E.S.Rawski and J.Rawson, eds., China: The Three Emperors 1662 - 1795, London, 2005, pp.132-133.

Compare with a related Ru-type archaistic hexagonal vase, hu, Qianlong seal mark and period, which was sold at Sotheby's New York, 23 March 2011, lot 736. See also a related Ru-type glazed vase, cong, Qianlong seal mark and period, which was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 3 June 2015, lot 3108.

Lot 312. An exceptionally rare Imperial imitation-gold ritual 'Lanca' bowl, Qianlong impressed seal mark and of the period (1736-1795); 11cm (4 3/8in) diam. Estimate £ 150,000 - 200,000 (€ 180,000 - 240,000). Unsold. © Bonhams 2001-2021

Finely decorated to the well with a medallion enclosing nine lanca characters within ruyi cartouches, the exterior with further lanca characters, the recessed base impressed with a Qianlong six-character seal mark, with original yellow silk-lined gilt-metal damascened circular box and cover.

Provenance: a distinguished Italian private collection.

Note: Meticulously decorated with lanca characters and fully coated in shimmering gold glaze, the present bowl is an exceedingly rare example testifying to the Qing Imperial aesthetic taste and to the technical virtuosity of the Imperial potters during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor.

Other examples of gold-glazed vessels dating to the Qianlong reign include an archaistic gu vase, impressed Qianlong seal mark and of the period, and a stem cup, second half of the 18th century, illustrated in A Millennium of Monochromes. From the Great Tang to the High Qing. The Baur and the Zhuyuetang Collections, Geneva, 2019, p.330-331. See also a gold-glazed 'Wheel of Transmigration', Qianlong six-character mark and of the period, in the Zhejiang Museum, Hangzhou, illustrated in Treasures of Imperial Porcelain, Beijing, 2011, pp.96-97.

Its unique shape and designs were likely inspired by a metal or wood prototype used in Tibet, probably a ritual bowl also known as a 'sound bell'. Following the Qianlong Emperor's strong interest in Tibetan Buddhism, gifts and tributes were often exchanged between the Qing Court and the Tibetan hierarchy; see J.Hevia, 'Lamas, Emperors, and Rituals: Political Implications in Qing Imperial Ceremonies', in Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies, vol.16, no.2, 1993, pp.243-278. New shapes and design elements thus entered the general repertoire of Chinese Imperial porcelain wares, and Chinese and Tibetan artists often worked side by side in the Imperial Workshops to create unique Tibeto-Chinese styles.

Gold was considered one of the most auspicious metals, possessing an opulence that catered to the extravagant taste afforded by only the wealthy and powerful. The process of applying gold on porcelain wares in the Imperial kilns at Jingdezhen was documented by Pere d'Entrecolles in a letter dated 1721, where he mentioned: 'When one wishes to apply gold, one grinds in and mixes it in the bottom of a porcelain vessel until a little cloud of gold appears in the bottom of the water. One allows it to dry and then uses it by mixing it in a sufficient amount of gummed water. With thirty parts of gold, one incorporates three parts of white lead, and then one applies it to the porcelain, just like a coloured glaze'; see Yu Pei-chin, De Jia Qu: Qianlong Huangdi de Taoci pinwei 得佳趣—乾隆皇帝的陶瓷品味 (Obtaining Refined Enjoyment: The Qianlong Emperor's Taste in Ceramics), Taipei, 2012, pp.129-130. The gilding process described in the letter is also accurately described in the Nanyao biji, a treatise compiled during the Qianlong period, stating: 'Gilding process nowadays...recipes for gilding and silvery tracery painting: mix ten parts of gold (one qian), with one part of lead powder (one fen)'. After the gold layer was applied to the vessel, a low firing was necessary to fix it; see A Millennium of Monochromes. From the Great Tang to the High Qing. The Baur and the Zhuyuetang Collections, Geneva, 2019, pp.165-166.

A serious student and active practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism, the Qianlong Emperor commissioned a variety of Tibetan-inspired ritual implements and sacrificial utensils to furnish the renovated and newly-built monasteries, temples, chapels and shrines within the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace and the Summer Residence at Chengde. These objects were also often bestowed as presents to the Emperor's family and other Court members but also played an essential role in the interchange of gifts to honour the religious and diplomatic relations with the Dalai and Panchen Lamas who came to Chengde to pay homage to the Emperor. The Qianlong Emperor forged a particularly strong relation with the Third Panchen Lama (1738–1780). Several records describe the lama's visit to Beijing in 1780 to partake in the Emperor's 70th birthday celebrations. For the occasion, the Emperor had the Xumifushou Temple built near the Imperial Summer residence in Chengde, which imitated the features of the Panchen's monastic seat in Tibet. The Emperor also appointed the lama as his personal spiritual preceptor; he learned the Tibetan language to converse with his guest and presented the religious figure with porcelain wares, silk, paintings and Buddhist sculptures. In addition, following the lama's sudden death in Beijing later in the year, the Emperor established the Pavilion for Rain and Flowers, Yuhua Ge 雨花閣 within the residential quarters of the Forbidden City to honour the religious figure; see R.W.Dunnell, et al., New Qing Imperial History: The Making of Inner Asian Empire at Qing Chengde, London, 2004, p.22.

An Imperial imitation-gold bowl and cover, impressed Qianlong mark and of the period, in the National History Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in Golden Treasures. Selection of Tibetan Works of art, Beijing, 2001, pp.262-263.

Compare with a fine and extremely rare pair of gold-glazed imitation-archaic-bronze hu vases, Qianlong seal marks and of the period, which was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 8 April 2011, lot 3009.

An important pair of hongmu four-part compound hat-chests on cabinets, Dingxiang'gui, 17th/18th century, from a British private collection, are estimated at £150,000-200,000 (Lot 248). They are notable for their imposing size and delicate relief carving of sinuous archaistic chilong clambering amidst lingzhi fungi, symbolising spiritual potency and the essence of Immortality, success, well-being, divine power and longevity. Also offered from a distinguished American private collection, is a rare pair of huanghuali horseshoe-back armchairs, quanyi, 17th century, estimated at £60,000-80,000 (Lot 238), which were acquired from Grace Wu Bruce, Hong Kong.

Lot 248. An important pair of hongmu four-part compound hat-chests on cabinets, Dingxiang'gui, 17th-18th century. Overall 260cm (102 2/8in) high x 127cm (50in) wide x 61cm (24in) deep.. Estimate £ 150,000 - 200,000 (€ 180,000 - 240,000). Unsold. © Bonhams 2001-2021

Each cabinet of massive rectangular form constructed from large panels beneath the hat chests made of two single panel doors, all similarly decorated in high relief with four sinuous chilong amidst a profusion of ruyi fungi issuing from meandering leafy stems, all supported by rectangular-section legs joined by shaped beaded aprons and spandrels, the hinged doors fitted with shaped lock plates and pulls, opening to reveal two shelves in each compartment. 

Provenance: Charlotte Horstmann and Gerald Godfrey Ltd., Hong Kong
A British private collection, acquired from the above on 21 July 1998.

Note: Compound cabinets combine a large square-corner cabinet with a smaller upper cabinet or 'hat cupboards'. Fitted with shelves and often times with drawers, their generous size made them ideal for storing long scrolls, fabrics, garments and books. The upper cabinets, as the name suggests, would have contained hats or less frequently used items. Although the upper cabinets are of separate construction, their unfinished undersides suggest that the top-cabinets were an integral part of the design and were never meant to serve as independent pieces of furniture. On some cabinets, the top sections were so high that a ladder was needed to access them. In the 18th century novel, Story of the Stone, Granny Liu, a poor distant relative visits the wealthy Jia family compound and is astonished by the size of the furniture:

'When I first went into your Ladyship's apartment yesterday and saw those grand chests and cupboards and tables and beds, the size of everything fairly took my breath away. That great wardrobe of yours is higher and wider that one of our rooms back home. I'm not surprised you keep a ladder in the back courtyard. When I first saw it, I thought to myself, 'Now what can they need a ladder for?'...And then of course I realised: it must be for getting things out of the compartment on top of that wardrobe of yours, for you could never reach it else.' See D.Hawkes, trans., Cao Xueqin, The Story of the Stone, London, 1974, chapter 40.

In grand houses like the Jia familiy's, cabinets such as the present lot might be used in the inner woman's apartments and in the reception rooms to which male visitors were invited. If the master of the house was an official, the wardrobes might contains Court robes and hats. The Portuguese Dominican friar Gaspar da Cruz notes the dominant positions of wardrobes in the reception rooms of a house he visited in 1556, 'Entering in the first of these houses (which is large) it has therein some huge cupboards very well wrought and carved...'; see S.Handler, Austere Luminosity of Chinese Classical Furniture, Berkley, 2001, p.262.

Apart from their impressive size, the decoration of lingzhi and archaistic chilong is also exceptional. The lingzhi fungus, represents a combination of spiritual potency and the essence of Immortality, and so naturally regarded as the herb of spiritual potency, symbolising success, well-being, divine power, and longevity. The archaistic dragons or chilong reflects intellectual trends of archaism that were prevalent at the time, as the literati sought new approaches to understanding their ancient heritage which in turn led to a greater fascination for decorative designs from ancient bronzes.

Compare with a related hongmu cabinet, mid Qing dynasty, carved with motifs of dragons, bats, musical stones and double-fish, illustrated by Tian Jiaqing, Classic Chinese Furniture of the Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong, 1996, pp.220-221, no.100. See also a related zitan dingxiang gui cabinet carved with ornate floral scrolls, Mid Qing dynasty, from the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in Imperial Furniture of Ming and Qing Dynasties: Classics of the Forbidden City, Beijing, 2008, p.24, no.17.

See a related large pair of hongmu compound cabinets, 19th century, which were sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 31 May 2010, lot 2047. 

Other highlights include a magnificent and rare cloisonné enamel and gilt-bronze tripod 'cranes' incense burner and cover, Qianlong, estimated at £150,000-200,000 (Lot 304), from a UK private collection, and formerly in a European private collection, it is a superb example of the magnificent objects made for the Court during the Qianlong reign, with a closely-related example in the collection of the British Museum, London.

Lot 304. A magnificent and rare cloisonné enamel and gilt-bronze tripod 'cranes' incense burner and cover, Qianlong period (1736-1795); 86.4cm (34in) high. Estimate £ 400,000 - 600,000 (€ 480,000 - 710,000). Sold for £ 187,750 (€ 219,577). © Bonhams 2001-2021

Impressively cast and supported on the shoulders of three cranes, the globular body colourfully enamelled with a continuous scene of a lotus pond, depicting swimming, flying, resting and pecking egrets amongst foliate lotus leaves and upright sprays of lotus blossoms beside craggy rocks and patchy grass, all beneath a gilt band of lotus lappets to the waisted neck, flanked by a pair of finely-cast handles in the form of a sinuous five-clawed dragon grasping an enamelled Shou-character roundel, the reticulated domed cover finely decorated with three large ruyi-shaped lappets enamelled with lotus flower heads surmounted by a gilt bronze bud-shaped finial meticulously cast with a writhing five-clawed dragon amidst scrolling clouds.

Provenance: a European private collection
Bonhams London, 10 November 2016, lot 96
A UK private collection.

Note: The Qianlong Emperor was a keen collector of objects of the past, advocating to restore ancient ways, suggesting that craftsmen turn to antiquity for models which would enable them to imbue their designs with simplicity and honesty in order to achieve refinement and elegance.

The present vessel is a magnificent example of the Qianlong period, combining the archaistic form derived from the Shang and Zhou dynasties ding ritual vessel, with the opulent taste of the Qing Court, utilising the vibrantly-colourful cloisonné enamel embellished with the gilt bronze dragon finial and handles. The master craftsman has further elevated the vessel, both in height and in extravagance by using three long-legged cranes instead of cabriole legs as supports.

The magnificent vessel is imbued with auspicious associations as often seen on other Imperial works of art. The cranes symbolise Immortality and are often shown as companions to Shoulao, the God of Longevity. Paintings of cranes had been popular in the Imperial Court since the Northern Song dynasty, when the Huizong Emperor (1082-1135) himself painted an iconic handscroll, 'Auspicious Cranes', now preserved in the Liaoning Provincial Museum, Shenyang, and illustrated by J.Cahill, 3000 Years of Chinese Painting, New Haven, 1997, p.123, fig.114. Cranes were also a recurring subject in the paintings of the Jesuit Court artist Giuseppe Castiglione (1688-1766). Further symbolism is imbued in the lotus, as one of the Eight Buddhist Emblems, and bajixiang and its association with purity.

Compare with a similar pair of cloisonné enamel incense burners and covers with crane supports bearing similar dragon handles, Qianlong, which were sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 4 December 2008, lot 202. See also a similar pair of cloisonné enamel incense burners and covers with crane supports but with upright cloisonné enamel handles, Qianlong, in the British Museum, London, one of which is illustrated by E.S.Rawski and J.Rawson, eds., China: The Three Emperors 1662-1795, London, 2005, pl.304; for another similar example see H.Brinker and A.Lutz, Chinese Cloisonné: The Pierre Uldry Collection, New York, 1989, pl.323; and compare with a pair similar to the British Museum example, which was sold at Sotheby's New York, 18 March 2014, lot 359.

A lecture by Dominic Jellinek celebrating the Parry and Palmer Collections, will be held at Bonhams New Bond St., London on Monday 1st November at 6pm; with a book signing event at 5pm, by Dr Teresa Canepa and Katharine Butler, on the event of the publication of their book: Leaping the Dragon Gate, The Sir Michael Butler Collection of 17th Century Chinese Porcelain.