China, 1736-1795. The ovoid body supported on a splayed foot and rising to a tall neck gently flaring towards the gilt rim, the exterior brightly decorated between ruyi-head bands at the mouth and foot with stylized lotus blooms borne on meandering leafy tendrils, all reserved on a turquoise ground. The base incised with a four-character mark Qianlong nianzhi and of the period, above a fifth character, ‘qi’.

Provenance: Spink & Son, Ltd., London, 10 October 1964. Collection of Herbert Bernenko, New York, acquired from the above and thence by descent. A copy of the original invoice from Spink & Son, Ltd., London, dated 10 October 1964, addressed to H. Bernenko, Esq., describing the present lot as a “cloisonné enamel vase, with ovoid body, slightly flared neck and everted foot; decorated on a turquoise ground with scrolling foliage and flower heads; on the foot is incised the four-character mark of the Emperor Ch’ien Lung”, and confirming the dating above, accompanies this lot.
Condition: Good condition with minor wear and manufacturing irregularities, including pitting. Minor rubbing to gilt and nicks to enamel. The mouth slightly warped. Fill and touchup to the yellow lotus blossom.

Weight: 145.7 g
Dimensions: Height 12.2 cm

Based on its size and shape, this vase was made to hold incense instruments. These types of small cloisonné vases, censers, and instruments (luping sanshi) which were made for the burning of incense had an additional character below the reign mark and were made for the Qianlong court. Some scholars have suggested that the fifth character under the Qianlong mark could have been a way to number the large group of objects in the correct order, see H. Brinker and A. Lutz, Chinese Cloisonné: The Pierre Uldry Collection, New York, 1989, pp. 74-79.

Literature comparison:
Compare a similar cloisonné enamel vase in the Pierre Uldry collection, published in Brinker and Lutz in Chinese Cloisonné: The Pierre Uldry Collection, New York, 1989, no. 285, p 283. Compare a related cloisonné enamel vase, Qianlong mark and period, in the Palace Museum, illustrated by Zheng Xinmiao, ed., Compendium of Collection in the Palace Museum: Enamels 2 - Cloisonné in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Beijing, 2011, pl. 154. For a Kangxi-marked example of similar size and decoration from the Qing Court Collection, see Metal-bodied Enamel Ware. The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 2001, pl. 81.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s London, 15 May 2012, lot 7
Price: GBP 23,750 or approx. EUR 44,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A small cloisonné enamel ‘lotus’ vase, Qianlong incised five-character mark and of the period
Expert remark: Compare the closely related lotus decorations, five-character mark, and size (12.5 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s London, 7 November 2017, lot 51
Price: GBP 16,250 or approx. EUR 26,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A small cloisonné enamel ‘lotus’ vase, Qianlong incised four-character mark and of the period
Expert remark: Compare the closely related lotus decorations, five-character mark, and size (12.7 cm).

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