Decorated with scrolling vines, blossoming peonies, chrysanthemums and lotus flowers all reserved on a lemon-yellow ground, the domed cover sits on top of a gilt-bronze pierced frieze, the body rests on a later gilt-bronze acanthus molded plinth, the ormolu struck with the 'C' couronné poinçon

6¹⁄₄ in. (15.9 cm.) high, 9¹⁄₂ in. (24 cm.) wide

The Alexander Collection, Christie's New York, 30 April 1999, lot 119.

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Lot Essay

The 'C' couronné poinçon was a tax mark employed on any alloy containing copper between March 1745 and February 1749.

Throughout the eighteenth century, fitting domestic and imported porcelain and hardstone vases with silver, silver-gilt, and most commonly ormolu mounts became a lucrative practice among the Parisian marchands-merciers. However, it is highly unusual to find Chinese enamel objects mounted with ormolu. French enameled metal was sometimes used to substitute expensive hardstone, such as in the case of a pair of Louis XV vases sold Christie’s, New York, 22 May 2002, lot 442, but when objects from Asia were to be embellished with ormolu, the marchands-merciers utilized almost exclusively porcelain from China or Japan. Regardless whether the present lot was conceived as a surprising and curious creation or if the enamel was used simply to substitute precious porcelain, the result was a rare and highly unusual object that is seldom offered on today’s art market.