A MASSIVE AND EXCEPTIONALLY RARE CLOISONNE ENAMEL AND GILT-BRONZE YENYEN VASE
17th century
The immense body of baluster shape supported by three mythical beasts with wings biting the foot rim, surmounted by a tall cylindrical neck with flaring mouth, meticulously enamelled around the exterior and interior of the mouth with classic lotus scrolls, a ruyi-shaped band around the shoulder containing further floral sprays, and upright plantain leaves around the base of the neck and vase. 111cm (43 1/2in) high.
Footnotes:
十七世紀 銅胎掐絲琺瑯纏枝蓮紋瑞獸足大鳳尾尊

Provenance: a French private collection

來源： 法國私人收藏

The immense size and lavish decoration of this cloisonné enamel vase indicates that it was probably commissioned for use in the early Qing Court. Such grandiose pieces were typically reserved for Imperial purposes, serving as symbols of wealth, power, and prestige. This vase stands as a testament to the discerning patronage of the Qing dynasty rulers, as well as showcasing the mastery of cloisonné enamel craftsmanship during this period.

The lotus scroll motif featured on the present lot is typical of early Qing dynasty court cloisonné enamels; see for example, a cloisonné enamel vase with similar interlocking lotus designs, early Qing dynasty, illustrated in the Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Enamels, 2, Beijing, 2011, pp.36-37, no.11. See also another cloisonné enamel vase, illustrated in Ibid., no14, in the Qing Court Collection, with very similar interlocking lotus design and mythical beast stands. The lotus holds symbolic significance, representing purity, enlightenment, and spiritual renewal. Its prominent presence in courtly cloisonné enamels reflects the Qing court's reverence for traditional Chinese symbolism and aesthetic ideals while serving as a visual expression of the dynasty's cultural and spiritual aspirations.

The mythical-beast stands on the present lot could have been later additions and are more likely to be 17th/18th century. See very similar gilt-bronze mythical beast stands with wings on a cloisonné enamel zun vessel with phoenix shaped ears, mid Qing dynasty, in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in the Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum: Enamels, 3, Beijing, 2011, p.111, no.77. The concept of mythical beasts supporting large vessels goes back to archaic bronzes. See for example, a bronze fang hu, early 6th century BC, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated by J.So, Eastern Zhou Ritual Bronzes from the Arthur M.Sackler Collections, New York, 1995, p.23, fig.17.

See also a related but smaller (59cm high) cloisonné enamel vase with flanges, Kangxi, with similarly broad flaring mouth and interlocking lotus design, in the Museé Guimet, Paris, illustrated by B.Quette, ed. Cloisonné: Chinese Enamels from the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, New York, 2011, p.259, no.70.

The immense size of the present lot makes it extremely rare. See a related but smaller cloisonné enamel yen yen vase, 15th/early 16th and 17th century, which was sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 27 November 2014, lot 121. See also, a rare and large Imperial cloisonné enamel 'three rams' vase, 17th/18th century, which was sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 1 December 2020, lot 142.
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Surface wear including scratches, some dents, the sections probably reinforced; some infilled areas, scratches and nicks to the extremities; feet may have been reinforced and/or later additions.