Qianlong Dynasty Imperial Enamel Wall Vase with Phoenixes

A Chinese gilt-bronze, cloisonne and champleve enamel wall vase,…
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A Chinese gilt-bronze, cloisonne and champleve enamel wall vase, Qianlong mark and of the period (1736-1796). The vase is semi-circular in shape and mounted with a purple sandalwood back panel. Its bronze body is extensively gilded, intricately engraved with banana leaves and continuous vines, adorned with several charming lotus flowers. The centre roundel of the vase is enamelled in blue, featuring a poem inscribed in gold characters: 'Spring rain washes the delicate petals, numerous layers of crimson clouds overlap. The pair of phoenixes always in the depths of clouds, not letting the flying qiong go to the Ruan family,' alongside the phrase 'Imperial production,' and the seal marks 'Qian' and 'Long.' emperor Qianlong had a fondness for plum blossoms and even had a plum garden built for his enjoyment. Among the over forty thousand Imperial poems he wrote in his lifetime, two hundred praised plum blossoms, including this well-known one, which subsequently adorned various courtly Imperial items. For an enamel wall vase also from the same period and inscribed with a Qianlong's Imperial poem, see Christie's Hong Kong, 30/5/2022, lot 2878. 22 cm high,, ··,

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  • Roundel - A roundel is a circular disk, medallion or border on a plate or dish, on an object of furniture. A plate or dish will often have a central circular bordered decoration, termed a roundel. In furniture the word is often used instead of the word 'patera' to describe a turned circular decoration. In recent times use of the word has expanded to encompass any circular area on an object.
  • Bronze - An alloy of copper and tin, traditionally in the proportions of about 9 parts of copper to 1 part of tin.

    The discovery of bronze in Western Asia in the 4th century enabled people to create metal objects which were superior to those previoulsy possible because of its strength and hardness, and it has been used throughout the world for weapons, coins, tools, statuary and other decorative items.

    It is very fluid in a molten state, and its hardness, strength when set, and non-corrosive properties makes it most suitable for casting sculpture.
  • Gilding - Gilding is a method of ornamentation whereby a thin sheet of gold metal is applied to items made of wood, leather, ceramics, glass and silver for decorative purposes.

    For furniture including mirrors, the sheet of gold is usually applied over a coating of gesso. Gesso is a mixture of plaster of Paris and gypsum mixed with water and then applied to the carved wooden frames of mirrors and picture frames as a base for applying the gold leaf. After numerous coats of gesso have been applied, allowed to dry and then sanded a coat of "bole", a usually red coloured mixture of clay and glue is brushed on and allowed to dry, after which the gold leaf is applied. Over time parts of the gilding will rub off so the base colour can be seen. In water gilding, this was generally a blue colour, while in oil gilding, the under layer was often yellow. In Victorian times, gilders frequently used red as a pigment beneath the gold leaf.

    Metal was often gilded by a process known as fire gilding. Gold mixed with mercury was applied and heated, causing the mercury to evaporate, the long-term effect of which was to kill or disable the craftsman or woman from mercury poisoning. The pursuit of beauty has claimed many victims, not the least of which were the artists who made those pieces so highly sought after today.
  • Sandalwood - Sandalwood is a heavy, yellow coloured and very fine-grained timber, which has a fragrance which lasts for many decades, and acts as a deterent to moths and insects.

    In the British colonial era, sandalwood was imported into Britain from India, and the wood also used within India for the manufacture of Anglo-Indian furniture.

    Becasue it does not have a distinct grain pattern, sandalwood was not used for the exterior surfaces of furniture, but was put to use for drawer and box linings, where the aroma was noticeable one the object was opened. it was also used to manufacture small objects (treen).

    Nowadays sandalwood is commercially grown with Australia the largest producer. As well as producing timber, oil is extracted for use in the manufacture of perfumes.

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