An exceptional and extremely rare pair of imperial cloisonné enamel and gilt-bronze figures of tapirs, Marks and period of Qianlong | 清乾隆 掐絲琺瑯犧尊一對 《乾隆年製》款

Cloisonné enamel representations of exotic mythical beasts rank amongst the highest quality of all Imperial enamel workmanship created for the Qianlong court. The current pair of tapirs are superb examples, modelled in a dynamic posture skilfully depicting the bristling lifelike quality and impending movement of the figure. The quality of the figures is exceptional, both skilfully modelled and enamelled in brilliant cloisons, with no expense spared to the lavish gilding throughout, with particularly intricate gilt flame scroll design. They are preserved in exceptionally good condition, complete with their hinged circular apertures on the back of which the four-character Qianlong mark is inscribed.

It is indeed remarkable to find a complete pair, the only known example. An individual model of a tapir of identical form and quality from the Qing court collection is preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Metal-bodied Enamel Ware, Hong Kong, 2002, no. 120, where it is noted that the model has a particularly lifelike quality and is a highly successful example of a figure created in imitation of antiquity. It was included in the International Exhibition of Chinese Art, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1935, published in Illustrated Catalogue of Chinese Government Exhibits for the International Exhibition of Chinese Art in London, Shanghai, 1936, pl. 7.

For the more commonly found model, see a figure of a mythical beast (tianlu) cast with a zun on its back in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, incised under the body with a four-character Qianlong mark, illustrated in Enamel Ware in the Ming and Ch'ing Dynasty, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1999, no. 43, and a zun in the form of a mythical qilin from the Speelman collection, sold in these rooms, 3rd April 2018, lot 3463. For other Qianlong cloisonné enamel reign-marked animal figures of similar quality sold at auction, see a crouching tiger from the collection of General Charles George Gordon, sold at Christie's London, 5th December 1994, lot 259 and again at Replica Shoes 's London, 9th November 2011, lot 400, from the collection of Sir Peter Moores, and a pair of duck-form ewers from the collection of Juan Jose Amezaga, sold at Christie’s Paris, 13th June 2007, lot 24.

乾隆御製掐絲琺瑯工藝品，以瑞獸為形之類品級最高。此對犧尊實乃佳例，軀肢雄健，纖毫栩栩，身形欲動，神采奕奕。所施工藝卓犖超倫，琺瑯精美，掐絲巧麗，通身紋飾明燦如熛焰，為求華貴不吝資財。二尊皆保存善好，背開圓洞，鈕蓋無缺，蓋上銘「乾隆年製」四字款。完好已屬不易，然匹配成雙更顯難得，存世僅知此一對。比一犧尊，孑然獨立，形貌、工藝與此對如出一轍，清宮舊藏，仍貯北京，錄於《故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集．金屬胎琺瑯器》，香港，2002年，編號120，該書有言，此類形制惟妙惟肖，為仿古塑像之上乘傑作。前例亦曾展於《中國藝術國際展覽會》，英國皇家藝術學院，倫敦，1935年，刊於《參加倫敦中國藝術國際展覽會出品圖說》，上海，1936年，圖版7。

另有形制，較為常見，比一天祿神獸，背馱一尊，藏台北故宮博物院，身下銘四字乾隆年款，載於《明清琺瑯器展覽圖錄》，台北，1999年，編號43；史博曼雅藏且有一麒麟背瓶，售於香港蘇富比2018年4月3日，編號3463。拍賣所見之乾隆年款掐絲琺瑯獸形器仍有若干，如一臥虎，原為查理．喬治．戈登將軍寶蓄，售於倫敦佳士得1994年12月5日，編號259，後由 Peter Moores 爵士之手釋出，售於倫敦蘇富比2011年11月9日，編號400；另見一對掐絲琺瑯鳧壺，Juan Jose Amezaga 舊藏，售於巴黎佳士得2007年6月13日，編號24。