A rare pair of yellow-glazed ritual vessels, gui, Impressed Qianlong seal marks and of the period. Sold for £10,000 (€12,764). Photo: Bonhams.
Inspired by the archaic bronze type, the vessels each of oblong form flanked by loop handles issuing from dragon heads supported on a dome-shaped pedestal, carved in relief with several bands enclosing geometric pattern including key-fret and coiled ribbon, all covered with a rich mustard-yellow glaze. Each 28.4cm (11 1/8in) wide (2).
Provenance: a European private collection
The pair of yellow-glazed altar food vessels, gui, would have been part of a ritual altar set made for the Altar of Earth and would have comprised also a pair of dou, fu and xing-shaped vessels. Similarly-composed sets with archaistic designs would have been made in claire de lune, blue and red for ritual use in the Altars of the Moon, Heaven and Sun, respectively. For a related set of the Qianlong period but in clair-de-lune glaze from the Palace Museum, Beijing, see E.S.Rawski and J.Rawson, eds., China: The Three Emperors 1662-1795, London, 2005, pp.125 and 396-397, pls.34-37, where it is noted that the archaistic shape of these sets was not designed until 1748, when the Qianlong emperor ordered the Grand Secretaries to consult classical texts when designing objects, and insisted that he approve their designs before manufacturing could begin. The objects were illustrated and described in the The Illustrated Regulations for Ceremonial Paraphernalia of the Qing Dynasty (Huangchao liqi tushi).: The pair of yellow-glazed altar food vessels, gui, would have been part of a ritual altar set made for the Altar of Earth and would have comprised also a pair of dou, fu and xing-shaped vessels. Similarly-composed sets with archaistic designs would have been made in claire de lune, blue and red for ritual use in the Altars of the Moon, Heaven and Sun, respectively. For a related set of the Qianlong period but in clair-de-lune glaze from the Palace Museum, Beijing, see E.S.Rawski and J.Rawson, eds., China: The Three Emperors 1662-1795, London, 2005, pp.125 and 396-397, pls.34-37, where it is noted that the archaistic shape of these sets was not designed until 1748, when the Qianlong emperor ordered the Grand Secretaries to consult classical texts when designing objects, and insisted that he approve their designs before manufacturing could begin. The objects were illustrated and described in the The Illustrated Regulations for Ceremonial Paraphernalia of the Qing Dynasty (Huangchao liqi tushi).
Bonhams. FINE CHINESE ART, 6 Nov 2014 13:30 GMT – LONDON, NEW BOND STREET