Galerie Zacke
Lot 389
AN EXCEPTIONAL ‘ANBAXIAN’ SNUFF BOTTLE, QIANLONG MARK AND PERIODChina, 1736-1795. The eight lobed sides thickly enameled on clear glass in soft tones of pink, blue, yellow, red, orange, and turquoise with the attributes of the Eight Daoist Immortals (anbaxian), each tied with a ribbon and alternately suspending tassels, below a ruyi collar at the shoulder and a floral band at the neck, the concave base with a masterfully painted four-character mark Qianlong nianzhi and of the period. Of meiping form with a waisted neck rising to a slanted lip and a concave top.Provenance: Old French private estate. Condition: Superb condition with minor wear and traces of use, inherent crackling to enamels.Stopper: Blue glass cabochon with a Baltic amber collar on a black platelet, finely carved and stained spoonWeight: 50.4 gDimensions: Height including stopper，74 mm. Diameter neck 17 mm and mouth 8 mmThe bottle is a fine and interesting example of the enameled glass wares produced during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor, with a skillfully executed painting of the anbaxian, a popular Daoist motif. While it is well known that the Qianlong Emperor was a fervent follower of Tibetan Buddhism, Daoism also fell under his religious patronage. During his reign, worship took place at several Daoist altars in the palaces in Beijing and at the Yuanmingyuan. Daoist rites were equally performed as part of the Emperor’s birthday celebrations, together with Tibetan Buddhist and Chinese Buddhist rituals.The attributes of the eight Immortals symbolize Daoism, transmutation, and happiness. Each of the symbols is the attribute of one of the Eight Immortals. They include the double gourd of Li Tieguai, containing all medicines; the fan of Zhongli Quan, resurrecting the dead; the flower basket of Lan Caihe, the patron of florists and a symbol of delusive pleasure; the bamboo rod of Zhang Guo, representing old age and longevity; the lotus of He Ziangu; the sword of Lu Dongbin, ridding the world of all evil; the flute of Han Xiangsi, an emblem of harmony; and the castanets of Cao Guojiu, the patron saint of theater actors.Literature comparison: The decoration of draped tassels suspended from ruyi lappets can also be seen on a small Qianlong vase with a guyuexuan mark illustrated in Chinese Glass of the Qing Dynasty: The Robert H. Clague Collection, Phoenix, 1987, pl. 50. See also a waterpot decorated in polychrome enamels on clear ground with flowering plants and the base inscribed with a similar reign mark within a square included in Elegance and Radiance, op. cit., p. 366, pl. 145, where it is noted that the seal mark conforms to the imperial format.Auction result comparison: Compare with an enameled clear glass water pot painted with the bajixiang at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in Scholarly Works of Art from the Mary and George Bloch Collection on 23 October 2005, lot 146, sold for HKD 300,000. Compare also with an opaque glass vase (85 mm high) enameled with the same motif at Christie’s Hong Kong in Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art on 30 November 2011, lot 3166, sold for HKD 187,500.乾隆款與年代料器琺琅釉暗八仙紋鼻烟壺 中國，1736-1795年。八瓣形透明料器，使用粉色、藍色、黃色、紅色、橙色和綠松石色等柔和的琺琅彩描繪八仙的法器。肩部下方如意紋，頸部花卉紋。内凹的底足上有精美的四字“乾隆年制”款。如梅瓶形，縮頸，溜肩。 來源：法國私人遺產 品相：極佳的狀態，輕微磨損和使用痕跡，琺琅有裂痕。 壺蓋：藍料蓋，巴爾幹琥珀與黑色片狀托，染色精美小壺匙 重量：50.4 克 尺寸：總高74 毫米。頸部直徑17 毫米，嘴部直徑8 毫米 拍賣結果比較：一件相近的料器琺琅彩八吉祥紋水丞見香港蘇富比 Scholarly Works of Art from the Mary and George Bloch Collection 拍場，2005年10月23日lot 146, 售價HKD 300,000. ；另一件涅白料器瓶 (高85 毫米)，琺琅彩，同樣主題飾紋，見香港佳士得Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art拍場，2011年11月30日lot 3166, 售價HKD 187,500.
