Decade 1730-1739
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : 18th century painting Venice Canaletto Early Qing Qianlong Chinese porcelain Qing porcelain Imperial seal Furniture Glass and crystal Christianity Madonna and Child Glass < 1900 Cats
See also : 18th century painting Venice Canaletto Early Qing Qianlong Chinese porcelain Qing porcelain Imperial seal Furniture Glass and crystal Christianity Madonna and Child Glass < 1900 Cats
CANALETTO
1
1732 Return of the Bucentaur by Canaletto
2025 SOLD for £ 32M by Christie's
Appearing as a successor to Carlevarijs, Canaletto managed very early to attract foreign customers. His themes are touristic, in a wide variety of views for displaying Venice in its whole historical and social diversity.
Around 1723, he paints two very large views, 141 x 204 cm and 144 x 207 cm, certainly as pendants for a single client who may be the prince of Liechtenstein.
He chooses the panoramic view of the Piazza San Marco with the basilica to illustrate the grandiose architecture, and the view of the Grand Canal between Palazzo Balbi and the Rialto bridge to show the life on the gondolas. The canal rotates at a right angle at that place. It is seen from full front when we look through a window from one of the three floors of the Palazzo Foscari.
Two large size views of Venice by Canaletto were listed in the 1736 manuscript catalogue of Sir Robert Walpole's pictures in Downing Street, Westminster, the residence offered in 1732 by King George II to Walpole.
As First Lord of the Treasury Walpole was the very first British statesman to exercise the function of a prime minister. He belonged to the whig party opposed to royal absolutism and certainly considered Venice, which he had not visited, as a model of a republican regime.
In the same format, 86 x 138 cm, these oil on canvas were certainly used as pendants although the date of their reception in the collection is not known. They feature an opposite animation that highlights the extent of skills of the artist in his mid thirties.
The view of the Grand Canal, sold for £ 18.6M by Sotheby's in 2005, is quiet with its gondolas in a nearly resting position. The Celebration of the Bucentaur on Ascension day is active, with rowers hurrying small crowded boats on the Bacino to the Mole, place of the celebration, in a superb accuracy.
Until its destruction by Napoléon in 1798, the Bucentaur was the festive symbol of Venice. On Ascension day since 1178, this huge state barge with two decks, 35 m long and 8.5 m high propelled by 168 oarsmen, escorted the Doge and the highest dignitaries. The Doge blessed the sea and threw a golden ring in the Adriatic. During the rest of the year the boat remained at the Arsenal.
Unlike his predecessor Carlevarijs, Canaletto is not interested in official celebrations. He prefers to observe everyday life in all the variety of costumes and occupations of this cosmopolitan city. The ambiance of Ascension day is very specific and he does not disdain the subject, but the Bucentaur, while perfectly recognizable, is always far behind the bustling quay and the well-loaded gondolas.
This view painted ca 1732 was separated from its pendant just before being sold for FF 66M before fees by Ader Tajan on December 15, 1993, lot 13. The Walpole provenance was not identified at that time. It was sold for £ 32M by Christie's on July 1, 2025, lot 8. The impasto of many of the figures is beautifully preserved.
Around 1723, he paints two very large views, 141 x 204 cm and 144 x 207 cm, certainly as pendants for a single client who may be the prince of Liechtenstein.
He chooses the panoramic view of the Piazza San Marco with the basilica to illustrate the grandiose architecture, and the view of the Grand Canal between Palazzo Balbi and the Rialto bridge to show the life on the gondolas. The canal rotates at a right angle at that place. It is seen from full front when we look through a window from one of the three floors of the Palazzo Foscari.
Two large size views of Venice by Canaletto were listed in the 1736 manuscript catalogue of Sir Robert Walpole's pictures in Downing Street, Westminster, the residence offered in 1732 by King George II to Walpole.
As First Lord of the Treasury Walpole was the very first British statesman to exercise the function of a prime minister. He belonged to the whig party opposed to royal absolutism and certainly considered Venice, which he had not visited, as a model of a republican regime.
In the same format, 86 x 138 cm, these oil on canvas were certainly used as pendants although the date of their reception in the collection is not known. They feature an opposite animation that highlights the extent of skills of the artist in his mid thirties.
The view of the Grand Canal, sold for £ 18.6M by Sotheby's in 2005, is quiet with its gondolas in a nearly resting position. The Celebration of the Bucentaur on Ascension day is active, with rowers hurrying small crowded boats on the Bacino to the Mole, place of the celebration, in a superb accuracy.
Until its destruction by Napoléon in 1798, the Bucentaur was the festive symbol of Venice. On Ascension day since 1178, this huge state barge with two decks, 35 m long and 8.5 m high propelled by 168 oarsmen, escorted the Doge and the highest dignitaries. The Doge blessed the sea and threw a golden ring in the Adriatic. During the rest of the year the boat remained at the Arsenal.
Unlike his predecessor Carlevarijs, Canaletto is not interested in official celebrations. He prefers to observe everyday life in all the variety of costumes and occupations of this cosmopolitan city. The ambiance of Ascension day is very specific and he does not disdain the subject, but the Bucentaur, while perfectly recognizable, is always far behind the bustling quay and the well-loaded gondolas.
This view painted ca 1732 was separated from its pendant just before being sold for FF 66M before fees by Ader Tajan on December 15, 1993, lot 13. The Walpole provenance was not identified at that time. It was sold for £ 32M by Christie's on July 1, 2025, lot 8. The impasto of many of the figures is beautifully preserved.
Is this the finest work by Canaletto remaining in private hands? Venice, the Return of the Bucintoro on Ascension Day was formerly in the collection of Britain’s first prime minister, Sir Robert Walpole, who hung the painting in 10 Downing Street: https://t.co/w90YveMG2T pic.twitter.com/bocdh0BQEe
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) May 25, 2025
2
1733 Canal Grande between Balbi and Rialto
2005 SOLD for £ 18.6 M by Sotheby's
On July 7, 2005, Sotheby's sold for £ 18.6M from a lower estimate of £ 6M a view of the Grand Canal between Balbi and Rialto, in excellent condition, lot 47. This oil on canvas 86 x 138 cm is dated around 1733 by considerations of style, and is the very last large size example painted by Canaletto with this specific position. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
The provenance of this painting was reconstructed before the sale. It had been listed as early as 1736 in the collection of Robert Walpole.
The provenance of this painting was reconstructed before the sale. It had been listed as early as 1736 in the collection of Robert Walpole.
3
1733 pair of views: Grand Canal and the Molo
2023 SOLD for £ 9.7M by Christie's
A pair of views of Venice by Canaletto was probably part of a 1733 commission of four for the countess of Essex. She was the sister of the 4th Duke of Bedford who was a major early patron of the artist. The set was dispatched in 1734 by Canaletto's agent Joseph Smith and separated at Christie's in 1777 by the earl of Essex.
They pair for sale represents the mouth of the Grand Canal from the East, and the Molo with the Piazzetta and the Doge’s Palace from the Bacino. In the best style of the artist, each of them displays an open foreground of water with an animation of busy boats plus recognizable top Venetian monuments on the shore or behind.
The views of the return of the Bucintoro on Ascension day are a close variant to the Molo view in that pair, considered by the artist from 1729.
This pair in oil on canvas 47 x 78 cm each was sold for £ 9.7M by Christie's on December 7, 2023, lot 11. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
The two other pictures of the quartet are not identified.
They pair for sale represents the mouth of the Grand Canal from the East, and the Molo with the Piazzetta and the Doge’s Palace from the Bacino. In the best style of the artist, each of them displays an open foreground of water with an animation of busy boats plus recognizable top Venetian monuments on the shore or behind.
The views of the return of the Bucintoro on Ascension day are a close variant to the Molo view in that pair, considered by the artist from 1729.
This pair in oil on canvas 47 x 78 cm each was sold for £ 9.7M by Christie's on December 7, 2023, lot 11. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
The two other pictures of the quartet are not identified.
#AuctionUpdate #Canaletto's 'Venice: The Mouth of the Grand Canal from the East; and The Molo, with the Piazzetta and the Doge's Palace, from the Bacino' sold for £9,740,000: https://t.co/5JNGXfbgFA
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) December 7, 2023
pic.twitter.com/ZRI2VMnEHz
4
mid to later 1730s Canal Grande at San Stae
2022 SOLD for $ 11.8M by Christie's
Canaletto had in Joseph Smith a highly influential protector and agent who offered him the access to the market of English travelers.
The artist went to execute extended series of views with seldom depicted viewpoints that matched the pre-romantic mood. He made after 1735 a series of 24 pictures later kept at Woburn Abbey and a series of 21 pictures for the Duke of Marlborough.
Smith kept many views in his house. For his business, he made printed two series by Vicentini, from 14 paintings in 1735 and from 24 in 1742.
A view of the Canal Grande looking south east from San Stae to the Fabbriche Nuove di Rialto, oil on canvas 47 x 78 cm painted by Canaletto, was sold for $ 11.8M from a lower estimate of $ 2.5M by Christie's on November 9, 2022, lot 55. One of the palazzi in this picture will be acquired by Smith in 1740.
The only other example of this view by Canaletto is in the Marlborough series. From that one, the artist made the major topographic improvement of raising the viewpoint to bird's eye at about 6 m over water level. The artist took care to modify accordingly the angles of the monuments. The improved view was included in the 1742 series of prints.
The artist went to execute extended series of views with seldom depicted viewpoints that matched the pre-romantic mood. He made after 1735 a series of 24 pictures later kept at Woburn Abbey and a series of 21 pictures for the Duke of Marlborough.
Smith kept many views in his house. For his business, he made printed two series by Vicentini, from 14 paintings in 1735 and from 24 in 1742.
A view of the Canal Grande looking south east from San Stae to the Fabbriche Nuove di Rialto, oil on canvas 47 x 78 cm painted by Canaletto, was sold for $ 11.8M from a lower estimate of $ 2.5M by Christie's on November 9, 2022, lot 55. One of the palazzi in this picture will be acquired by Smith in 1740.
The only other example of this view by Canaletto is in the Marlborough series. From that one, the artist made the major topographic improvement of raising the viewpoint to bird's eye at about 6 m over water level. The artist took care to modify accordingly the angles of the monuments. The improved view was included in the 1742 series of prints.
Yongzheng Cloisonné Cranes
2010 SOLD for HK$ 130M by Christie's
The technique of cloisonné enamel was used to create realistic figures often intended as candle holder or as censer. An exceptional pair of double imperial Chinese cranes belongs to the latter category.
Both elements show the same scene. As it is often the case, they are inverted with respect to each other. On each one, the larger bird, straight legs, sinuous neck, holds in its raised beak a twig of peach with two fruits. More flexible, the smaller bird has slightly bent legs.
The elegance of the cranes, the fineness of the cloisonné and the large size, 1.45 m, are making this pair to be considered as highly exceptional. The estimate is not published in the catalog, but the press release told that the auction house expects in excess of HK $ 120M.
Of course, this representation is full of symbols. The red-capped crane, valued for its longevity, means harmony and peace. The exceptional presence of a smaller bird beside the main figure shows a filial piety. We would like to see it as a tribute by Prince Hongli, the future Emperor Qianlong, to his father Yongzheng in whose reign this perfect artwork was made.
The pair was sold for HK $ 130M by Christie's on December 1, 2010. The image of this lot is shared post sale by The Wall Street Journal.
Both elements show the same scene. As it is often the case, they are inverted with respect to each other. On each one, the larger bird, straight legs, sinuous neck, holds in its raised beak a twig of peach with two fruits. More flexible, the smaller bird has slightly bent legs.
The elegance of the cranes, the fineness of the cloisonné and the large size, 1.45 m, are making this pair to be considered as highly exceptional. The estimate is not published in the catalog, but the press release told that the auction house expects in excess of HK $ 120M.
Of course, this representation is full of symbols. The red-capped crane, valued for its longevity, means harmony and peace. The exceptional presence of a smaller bird beside the main figure shows a filial piety. We would like to see it as a tribute by Prince Hongli, the future Emperor Qianlong, to his father Yongzheng in whose reign this perfect artwork was made.
The pair was sold for HK $ 130M by Christie's on December 1, 2010. The image of this lot is shared post sale by The Wall Street Journal.
1732 The Badminton cabinet
2004 SOLD for £ 19 M£ by Christie's
Although its architectural style is Florentine, the Beaufort-Badminton cabinet is one of a kind. It is by far the most monumental piece of furniture that has ever been produced at the Galleria dei Lavori, the workshops of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, exceeding by more than one meter in height a piece of furniture made for the Elector Palatine.
In 1726 the 3rd Duke of Beaufort, aged 19, makes his tour of Italy. He is extremely rich and desires to build an art collection. His stay in Florence was very short. It seems likely that a pre-existing project for a monumental piece of furniture was offered to him. He orders this piece, of which he has followed the make by his agents.
The piece of furniture is delivered to him in 1732. It will be known as the Badminton cabinet from the residence where the 3rd Duke installed it and where it stayed until 1990.
It was sold by Christie's for £ 8.6M on July 5, 1990 and for £ 19M on December 9, 2004, lot 260. It was acquired at this latter sale by Prince Hans Adam II von und zu Liechtenstein to become the central piece in the collection of pietra dura works in his private museum.
The Badminton cabinet is a piece of furniture with four superimposed ebony segments over eight pilasters, for a total height of 386 cm including the Beaufort coat of arms in finial. It is 232 cm wide and 94 cm deep.
The assembly of this piece is a tour de force of joinery. It is sumptuously decorated on front and lateral sides in pietra dura and semi-precious stones with floral themes including birds. The upper segment consists of a clock whose dial is later. The allegories of the four seasons in gilt bronze surround the clock.
In 1726 the 3rd Duke of Beaufort, aged 19, makes his tour of Italy. He is extremely rich and desires to build an art collection. His stay in Florence was very short. It seems likely that a pre-existing project for a monumental piece of furniture was offered to him. He orders this piece, of which he has followed the make by his agents.
The piece of furniture is delivered to him in 1732. It will be known as the Badminton cabinet from the residence where the 3rd Duke installed it and where it stayed until 1990.
It was sold by Christie's for £ 8.6M on July 5, 1990 and for £ 19M on December 9, 2004, lot 260. It was acquired at this latter sale by Prince Hans Adam II von und zu Liechtenstein to become the central piece in the collection of pietra dura works in his private museum.
The Badminton cabinet is a piece of furniture with four superimposed ebony segments over eight pilasters, for a total height of 386 cm including the Beaufort coat of arms in finial. It is 232 cm wide and 94 cm deep.
The assembly of this piece is a tour de force of joinery. It is sumptuously decorated on front and lateral sides in pietra dura and semi-precious stones with floral themes including birds. The upper segment consists of a clock whose dial is later. The allegories of the four seasons in gilt bronze surround the clock.
#ThrowbackThursday The Badminton Cabinet was sold in July 1990 in London. Commissioned in 1726 by Henry Somerset, 3rd Duke of Beaufort, it took 6 years to make & was regarded as the greatest Florentine cabinet of its time. It is on display at the Liechtenstein Museum in Vienna. pic.twitter.com/fTdEaJAm4e
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) April 16, 2020
1735 Madonna of the Rosary by Tiepolo
2020 SOLD for $ 17.3M by Sotheby's
At the time of the Vedutists, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo specializes in religious painting. He takes as models his great Venetian predecessors including Tintoretto and Veronese. His personal style is theatrical and overloaded, typical of the rococo taste.
On January 29, 2020, Sotheby's sold for $ 17.3M a monumental altarpiece painted by Tiepolo in 1735, oil on canvas 246 x 156 cm, lot 61.
The theme is a Madonna of the Rosary with Angels. The simple and effective composition, unusual for the artist, and the liveliness of the colors remind Titian, and the attitude is mannerist.
The artist wanted this Madonna to appear with the utmost majesty. She is standing on a stone pedestal, for being worshiped like a statue. Her youth and elegance are enhanced by a hip position. The red cloak is a symbol of royalty.
The fully unfolded rosary is hanging from her outstretched hand like an offering for an out-of-field user. This artefact brings a modernism to the image : its use in Marian prayer was recommended by Pope Benedict XIII, a former Dominican who died in 1730.
The artist has constructed an interesting symmetry between the rosary held by the Mother and the cross held by the Child. The gaze of the Mother is introverted, while that of the Child is directed towards the hand holding the rosary.
Please watch the video shared by Sotheby's. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
On January 29, 2020, Sotheby's sold for $ 17.3M a monumental altarpiece painted by Tiepolo in 1735, oil on canvas 246 x 156 cm, lot 61.
The theme is a Madonna of the Rosary with Angels. The simple and effective composition, unusual for the artist, and the liveliness of the colors remind Titian, and the attitude is mannerist.
The artist wanted this Madonna to appear with the utmost majesty. She is standing on a stone pedestal, for being worshiped like a statue. Her youth and elegance are enhanced by a hip position. The red cloak is a symbol of royalty.
The fully unfolded rosary is hanging from her outstretched hand like an offering for an out-of-field user. This artefact brings a modernism to the image : its use in Marian prayer was recommended by Pope Benedict XIII, a former Dominican who died in 1730.
The artist has constructed an interesting symmetry between the rosary held by the Mother and the cross held by the Child. The gaze of the Mother is introverted, while that of the Child is directed towards the hand holding the rosary.
Please watch the video shared by Sotheby's. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
QIANLONG
1
for reference
1736 Portrait of the Qianlong Emperor by Castiglione
Palace Museum, Beijing
The Kangxi Emperor favored the contact with Europe. By the 49th year of his reign, the court accepted a suggestion of the Jesuits to invite a painter. The candidature of the lay brother Giuseppe Castiglione was accepted.
Castiglione arrived in Beijing in the 54th year of Kangxi, 1715 in our calendar. The skills of this young man aged 27 appealed to the emperor and he became a court painter under the name Lang Shining. He never left the imperial court. In his outstanding career that lasted half a century without harm or conflict, he assimilated the traditional techniques of Chinese graphic art without forgetting his original training.
The court painters were considered as imperial officials and did not sign their works. Lang Shining and his studio are credited with near certainty for the paintings that incorporate such Western features like perspective or like the shades that enhance the realism of the face.
The official portraits of the Emperor and his favorite Ladies are a tradition in the Chinese court. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Castiglione arrived in Beijing in the 54th year of Kangxi, 1715 in our calendar. The skills of this young man aged 27 appealed to the emperor and he became a court painter under the name Lang Shining. He never left the imperial court. In his outstanding career that lasted half a century without harm or conflict, he assimilated the traditional techniques of Chinese graphic art without forgetting his original training.
The court painters were considered as imperial officials and did not sign their works. Lang Shining and his studio are credited with near certainty for the paintings that incorporate such Western features like perspective or like the shades that enhance the realism of the face.
The official portraits of the Emperor and his favorite Ladies are a tradition in the Chinese court. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
2
1735-1738 Imperial Soapstone Seal
2022 SOLD for HK$ 153M by Sotheby's
Qianlong yulan shi bao means Treasure admired by his Majesty the Qianlong emperor. This mark was printed by the emperor with red cinnabar paste on selected masterpieces from the imperial collection of tens of thousands artworks. His grandfather and father had used similar stamps.
When he acceded to the throne in 1735 CE the Qianlong emperor was already a keen connoisseur of arts. He picked out for his own yulan shi bao a 7.8 cm square 10.7 cm high soapstone seal finial from the Kangxi-Yongzheng transition. This piece is carved in the round with a crouching mythical winged lion, fitted with flames on the body and dragon scales on the legs, mothering two small creatures. Its eyes are set with black gemstones.
The terminus ante quem of the face with the six character Qianlong mark is the 3rd year of the reign when the complete set of seals needed for the immediate use of the new emperor went to be complete. The soapstone in intaglio has been slightly worn by its extensive stamping use before the preparation in 1745 of the Shiqu Baoji inventory catalogue of the imperial collection.
Resurfacing in 1965 at auction by Sotheby's, the seal was again out of public view afterwards. It was sold for HK $ 153M by Sotheby's on April 29, 2022, lot 3801. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
The paintings bearing the imperial appreciation from that specific seal include among others Travelers among mountains and streams by Fan Kuan, Early spring by Guo Xi and A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains by Wang Ximeng, plus many top level calligraphies.
The Qianlong emperor owned six other yulan shi bao connoisseur seals of various sizes.
When he acceded to the throne in 1735 CE the Qianlong emperor was already a keen connoisseur of arts. He picked out for his own yulan shi bao a 7.8 cm square 10.7 cm high soapstone seal finial from the Kangxi-Yongzheng transition. This piece is carved in the round with a crouching mythical winged lion, fitted with flames on the body and dragon scales on the legs, mothering two small creatures. Its eyes are set with black gemstones.
The terminus ante quem of the face with the six character Qianlong mark is the 3rd year of the reign when the complete set of seals needed for the immediate use of the new emperor went to be complete. The soapstone in intaglio has been slightly worn by its extensive stamping use before the preparation in 1745 of the Shiqu Baoji inventory catalogue of the imperial collection.
Resurfacing in 1965 at auction by Sotheby's, the seal was again out of public view afterwards. It was sold for HK $ 153M by Sotheby's on April 29, 2022, lot 3801. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
The paintings bearing the imperial appreciation from that specific seal include among others Travelers among mountains and streams by Fan Kuan, Early spring by Guo Xi and A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains by Wang Ximeng, plus many top level calligraphies.
The Qianlong emperor owned six other yulan shi bao connoisseur seals of various sizes.
3
1736 Falangcai Swallow Bowl
2023 SOLD for HK$ 200M by Sotheby(s
A culmination of the artistic porcelain skill is the narrative wrapping around a falangcai vessel, like the image from a handscroll interrupted by a poem on the reverse.
According to the palace records, ‘a large pair of bowls with apricot grove and spring swallows’ was submitted in 1734 CE during the reign of the Yongzheng emperor. A pair matching this description is kept in the palace Museum in Taipei.
A similar pair bearing the same poem with another illustration of the trees and birds bears the imperial mark of Qianlong. It was arguably prepared at the very beginning of that reign, 1736. The narrative illustration was soon afterward out-fashioned, the new emperor preferring naturalistic themes. Both elements are slightly different one another in the practice of the Yongzheng reign.
The Qianlong pair was separated at auction in 1929. One of the bowls soon joined the Sir Percival David Collection, now in the British Museum.
Its counterpart went to several prestigious owners including Barbara Hutton and Dr Alice Cheng. It was sold for HK $ 150M by Christie's on November 28, 2006, lot 1309, and for HK $ 200M by Sotheby's on April 8, 2023, lot 1. Please watch the video shared by Sotheby's.
This small piece 11.3 cm in diameter is potted with translucent rounded sides rising to a flaring rim. The exterior is enameled in two shades of pink, yellow, green, brown and black. Its Qianlong four-character imperial mark is inserted in a double square.
Illustrating the pleasure of spring, it features two auspicious swallows flying in the sky beside a blossoming apricot tree intertwined with a willow. Such a combination had been considered as vulgar by a Ming taste arbiter. The willow tree is an emblem for a slender beautiful woman while the apricot refers to a playful sexuality. Swallows bring worldwide the announcement of spring. Often seen in pairs, they also symbolize a loving couple.
The ten-character poem inscribed in four black lines on the reverse is related with a dance performed by a Tang imperial concubine with a gown of shimmering feathers. Its three lines are respectively preceded and followed by ruby red enamel seals meaning early spring and dawn glow.
According to the palace records, ‘a large pair of bowls with apricot grove and spring swallows’ was submitted in 1734 CE during the reign of the Yongzheng emperor. A pair matching this description is kept in the palace Museum in Taipei.
A similar pair bearing the same poem with another illustration of the trees and birds bears the imperial mark of Qianlong. It was arguably prepared at the very beginning of that reign, 1736. The narrative illustration was soon afterward out-fashioned, the new emperor preferring naturalistic themes. Both elements are slightly different one another in the practice of the Yongzheng reign.
The Qianlong pair was separated at auction in 1929. One of the bowls soon joined the Sir Percival David Collection, now in the British Museum.
Its counterpart went to several prestigious owners including Barbara Hutton and Dr Alice Cheng. It was sold for HK $ 150M by Christie's on November 28, 2006, lot 1309, and for HK $ 200M by Sotheby's on April 8, 2023, lot 1. Please watch the video shared by Sotheby's.
This small piece 11.3 cm in diameter is potted with translucent rounded sides rising to a flaring rim. The exterior is enameled in two shades of pink, yellow, green, brown and black. Its Qianlong four-character imperial mark is inserted in a double square.
Illustrating the pleasure of spring, it features two auspicious swallows flying in the sky beside a blossoming apricot tree intertwined with a willow. Such a combination had been considered as vulgar by a Ming taste arbiter. The willow tree is an emblem for a slender beautiful woman while the apricot refers to a playful sexuality. Swallows bring worldwide the announcement of spring. Often seen in pairs, they also symbolize a loving couple.
The ten-character poem inscribed in four black lines on the reverse is related with a dance performed by a Tang imperial concubine with a gown of shimmering feathers. Its three lines are respectively preceded and followed by ruby red enamel seals meaning early spring and dawn glow.
4
1737 Falangcai on Glass
2019 SOLD for HK$ 207M by Sotheby's
In the transfer of the European technology of enamel painting, the Kangxi emperor creates a workshop in 1693 CE in the Forbidden City. The new technique will be used on several supports : copper, silver, porcelain. Three years later, Kangxi opens a glass workshop in the same place.
Enamel on glass is the most difficult technique. Each color demands a different baking to be lively, and a little overheating above the enamel melting point damages the glass. The term used is falangcai as for porcelain. The imperial archives do not mention any glass falangcai before 1705. The surviving pieces from the reigns of Kangxi and Yongzheng are incredibly rare.
When he succeeds his father, Qianlong is overflowing with enthusiasm for all forms of art. He expects from his workshops unprecedented technical achievements along with decorations of utmost finesse and originality.
On the 22nd day of the 1st month of the 3rd year of his reign, in 1737 CE, the archives record the presentation to the emperor by three eunuchs of a glass vase shaped like a pouch. This blue vase is immediately returned to the workshops for being copied. It did not survive.
Two glass falangcai with a bright yellow enamel background certainly correspond to this commission. Slightly different in shape and completely different in the decor, they were not scheduled as pendants. All other glass falangcai of this form were failed or broken.
These two pieces are of the largest dimension for this technique, 18 cm high. The pleated ovoid shape imitating the silk is knotted by a ribbon in high relief which very elegantly clasps the upper part of the purse. The imperial mark appears within a flower.
Both objects belonged in the nineteenth century to an imperial prince. They were sold separately by Sotheby's in 1988. One of them, with a dense set of twelve dragons, is now to the collection of the Hong Kong Museum of Art.
The other piece is the best achievement. Its colors are brighter. The picture with two phoenix twirling amidst flowers is very pleasant with flamboyant plumages. The rim is crenellated. Nicholas Chow, chairman of Sotheby's Asia, considers that it is the most important Qing artwork in private hands.
This glass pouch was sold for HK $ 207M by Sotheby's on October 8, 2019, lot 1. It is narrated by Nicholas Chow in the video shared by The Value.
Enamel on glass is the most difficult technique. Each color demands a different baking to be lively, and a little overheating above the enamel melting point damages the glass. The term used is falangcai as for porcelain. The imperial archives do not mention any glass falangcai before 1705. The surviving pieces from the reigns of Kangxi and Yongzheng are incredibly rare.
When he succeeds his father, Qianlong is overflowing with enthusiasm for all forms of art. He expects from his workshops unprecedented technical achievements along with decorations of utmost finesse and originality.
On the 22nd day of the 1st month of the 3rd year of his reign, in 1737 CE, the archives record the presentation to the emperor by three eunuchs of a glass vase shaped like a pouch. This blue vase is immediately returned to the workshops for being copied. It did not survive.
Two glass falangcai with a bright yellow enamel background certainly correspond to this commission. Slightly different in shape and completely different in the decor, they were not scheduled as pendants. All other glass falangcai of this form were failed or broken.
These two pieces are of the largest dimension for this technique, 18 cm high. The pleated ovoid shape imitating the silk is knotted by a ribbon in high relief which very elegantly clasps the upper part of the purse. The imperial mark appears within a flower.
Both objects belonged in the nineteenth century to an imperial prince. They were sold separately by Sotheby's in 1988. One of them, with a dense set of twelve dragons, is now to the collection of the Hong Kong Museum of Art.
The other piece is the best achievement. Its colors are brighter. The picture with two phoenix twirling amidst flowers is very pleasant with flamboyant plumages. The rim is crenellated. Nicholas Chow, chairman of Sotheby's Asia, considers that it is the most important Qing artwork in private hands.
This glass pouch was sold for HK $ 207M by Sotheby's on October 8, 2019, lot 1. It is narrated by Nicholas Chow in the video shared by The Value.
