Skip to main content
Bonhams
Search

This auction has ended. View lot details

You may also be interested in

A Jacobite concealed portrait snuff box18th century
A 15th century carved limestone figure of St George

Own a similar item?

Submit your item online for a free auction estimate.

A Derby centrepieceCirca 1765
A pair of mid 16th century Italian patinated and parcel gilt bronze angel candlesticks Probably Tuscan and in the manner of Domenico Becafumi (1484-1551)
A Renaissance Florentine panel woven in silks and metal threadMid 15th century, probably for a Dalmatic garment
A 16th century tapestry fragment Formerly part of a larger tapestry in Gerona Cathedral
A set of three Holkham Pottery wine jugs Third quarter 20th century
An extremely rare early 17th century Dutch black, red and gilt japanned casketProbably attributable to Willem Kick (Dutch, 1579-1647)
A carved limestone bust of a kingProbably late 14th/early 15th century, and later
A rare and impressive Charles II leaded bronze 'York' mortar Made for Roger Warde, apothecary, and dated 1684, together with a large associated cast iron pestle
A collection of four commemorative glass bowls and plates including for the Coronation of King George VI Second quarter 20th century and earlier
A late 18th/early 19th century Italian relief carved and part stained wood oval profile portrait plaque depicting a classical warrior maiden, perhaps Minerva Possibly attributable to the workshop of Giuseppe Maria Bonzanigo (Italian, 1745–1820)
Of Grand Tour interest: A collection of six trays of 19th century plaster intagliosProbably from the workshop of Pietro Paoletti (Rome, 1801-1847)
Francesco Righetti I (Italian, 1738-1819): A patinated bronze figure of the Apollo BelvedereAfter the antique, Roman, the cast dated 1787
After Pierre Lepautre (French, 1659-1744) and François Girardon (French, 1628-1714): A patinated bronze figural group of 'Aeneas carrying Anchises'French, probably first half early 19th century
A rare French gilt copper and champlevé enamel crozier finial depicting St Michael slaying the devil as a dragon Limoges, 1220-1230
A rare French gilt copper and champlevé enamel book or Evangeliary cover depicting the Crucifixion Limoges, circa 1190-1200
A white metal shell and dolphin salt given to Lady Glenconner by Princess Margaret
A French gilt copper and champleve enamel oval plaque of the angelLimoges, 19th century
A pair of mother of pearl, yellow metal and gem-set dishes given to Lady Glenconner by Imelda Marcos during a visit to the Philippines
An early 19th century satin-birch, 'mulberry wood', ebonised and mother of pearl vanity and sewing box
A French second half 19th century red stained tortoiseshell, cut brass inlaid and gilt metal mounted 'Boulle' casket Circa 1870
Sir Alfred Gilbert, M.V.O., R.A (British 1854-1934): a patinated bronze figure of 'An Offering to Hymen'
A silvered bronze cockatoo Early 20th century, probably Austrian
Previous Lot
Next Lot
A Louis XVI gilt bronze mounted Chinese celadon garniture vase the porcelain Qianlong period (1735 - 1795), the mounts circa 1775 image 1
A Louis XVI gilt bronze mounted Chinese celadon garniture vase the porcelain Qianlong period (1735 - 1795), the mounts circa 1775 image 2
Lot 98

A Louis XVI gilt bronze mounted Chinese celadon garniture vase
the porcelain Qianlong period (1735 - 1795), the mounts circa 1775

Fine Decorative Arts, 1200-1900
18 December 2020, 14:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street

£20,000 - £30,000

Own a similar item?

Submit your item online for a free auction estimate.

How to sell

Looking for a similar item?

Our Home and Interiors specialists can help you find a similar item at an auction or via a private sale.

Find your local specialist

Ask about this lot

A Louis XVI gilt bronze mounted Chinese celadon garniture vase

the porcelain Qianlong period (1735 - 1795), the mounts circa 1775
the baluster body painted in underglazed blue and white (ground iron red?) with flowering prunus, bamboo, funghi, a butterfly and a pair of songbirds on a pale jade green ground, the twin handled reeded rim mount hung with laurel garlands and with bell husk terminals, on stop fluted and re-entrant cut corner square plinth base, 26cm high, 14.5cm wide

Footnotes

Produced in the provinces of Kaifeng and Longquan in China from the 4th century onwards, Celadon porcelain was highly prized for its characteristic jade coloured glaze produced by the chemical processes which took place whilst firing. Initially left monochrome and incised or relief moulded with floral, geometric and zoomorphic decoration, wares were later decorated with delicate overglaze decoration on the underglaze blue painted grounds with flowers and foliage in white, iron red and sometimes peach as in the current lot. Hugely popular in the Chinese Imperial Court, Celadons's popularity spread to the Chinese domestic market and then to rest of Asian and beyond. During the
Ming Dynasty (1344-1644), examples of the porcelain finally made their way to Europe where it was as highly prized as gold.

By the time of Louis XIV and the Regence, the French were readily mounting Chinese porcelain with European styled gilt bronze mounts which were retailed by the marchand- merciers from components assembled in their workshops outsourced craftsmen. The use of contemporary French gilt bronze mounts perhaps removed the
outwardly 'foreign' characteristics of the porcelain whilst letting them retain the romance of their far exotic eastern origins.

As the 18th century progressed the vogue for blue and white porcelain in fashionable circles receded and was replaced by polychrome wares but monochrome wares continued in popularity as the fashions in mounts moved from those of the early 18th century into the rococo and later into the neo-classical.

Although almost certainly originally conceived as pair or even as a larger three piece garniture, vases of this age, quality and style would have originally been only intended as a decorative addition to a room.

The bold reeded handles and laurel garland uppers mounts and cut corner plinth base of the present lot are stylistically typical of the early neo-classical period and contrast with the finely enamelled decoration of the prunus sprays and birds to the Celadon glazed porcelain body.

Related Literature and Comparable Vases

A comparable pair of vases with water-lily decoration on a light aqua ground and with identical mounts are illustrated in G. & R Wannenes, Les bronzes ornementaux et les objets montés de Louis XIV à Napoléon III , Milan, 2004, p. 335 and a further pair of vases with similar but differently painted decoration to the porcelain but probably from the same Chinese workshop are featured in the same volume p. 324.

Two further pairs of comparable Celadon vases with a variant forms of floral decoration can be found in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (Inv. 1907.206.22) and the Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles (Inv. L.97.DI.9).

A pair of similar period Celadon vase painted with similar birds to the bird on the present lot and with mounts attributed to Pierre Gouthiere, circa 1770 were sold by Christies, London, 6th December 2012, lot 14.

Additional information

Bid now on these items

A Jacobite concealed portrait snuff box18th century
A 15th century carved limestone figure of St George
A Derby centrepieceCirca 1765
A pair of mid 16th century Italian patinated and parcel gilt bronze angel candlesticks Probably Tuscan and in the manner of Domenico Becafumi (1484-1551)
A Renaissance Florentine panel woven in silks and metal threadMid 15th century, probably for a Dalmatic garment
A 16th century tapestry fragment Formerly part of a larger tapestry in Gerona Cathedral
A set of three Holkham Pottery wine jugs Third quarter 20th century
An extremely rare early 17th century Dutch black, red and gilt japanned casketProbably attributable to Willem Kick (Dutch, 1579-1647)
A carved limestone bust of a kingProbably late 14th/early 15th century, and later
A rare and impressive Charles II leaded bronze 'York' mortar Made for Roger Warde, apothecary, and dated 1684, together with a large associated cast iron pestle
A collection of four commemorative glass bowls and plates including for the Coronation of King George VI Second quarter 20th century and earlier
A late 18th/early 19th century Italian relief carved and part stained wood oval profile portrait plaque depicting a classical warrior maiden, perhaps Minerva Possibly attributable to the workshop of Giuseppe Maria Bonzanigo (Italian, 1745–1820)
Of Grand Tour interest: A collection of six trays of 19th century plaster intagliosProbably from the workshop of Pietro Paoletti (Rome, 1801-1847)
Francesco Righetti I (Italian, 1738-1819): A patinated bronze figure of the Apollo BelvedereAfter the antique, Roman, the cast dated 1787
After Pierre Lepautre (French, 1659-1744) and François Girardon (French, 1628-1714): A patinated bronze figural group of 'Aeneas carrying Anchises'French, probably first half early 19th century
A rare French gilt copper and champlevé enamel crozier finial depicting St Michael slaying the devil as a dragon Limoges, 1220-1230
A rare French gilt copper and champlevé enamel book or Evangeliary cover depicting the Crucifixion Limoges, circa 1190-1200
A white metal shell and dolphin salt given to Lady Glenconner by Princess Margaret
A French gilt copper and champleve enamel oval plaque of the angelLimoges, 19th century
A pair of mother of pearl, yellow metal and gem-set dishes given to Lady Glenconner by Imelda Marcos during a visit to the Philippines
An early 19th century satin-birch, 'mulberry wood', ebonised and mother of pearl vanity and sewing box
A French second half 19th century red stained tortoiseshell, cut brass inlaid and gilt metal mounted 'Boulle' casket Circa 1870
Sir Alfred Gilbert, M.V.O., R.A (British 1854-1934): a patinated bronze figure of 'An Offering to Hymen'
A silvered bronze cockatoo Early 20th century, probably Austrian