A CHINESE ENAMEL ROSEWATER SPRINKLER, MADE FOR INDIAN MARKET, QIANLONG (1736-1795)

拍品描述

A CHINESE ENAMEL ROSEWATER SPRINKLER, MADE FOR INDIAN MARKET, QIANLONG (1736-1795) The rosewater sprinkler is of tall, elegant form, with a compressed pear-shaped body rising to a long slender neck, bulbous knop and narrow cylindrical nozzle. Worked in painted enamels, it presents a richly articulated surface in pink, turquoise, blue, green, yellow and aubergine, with gilt-toned metal rims defining the mouth, foot and sectional joins. The elongated silhouette is characteristic of rosewater sprinklers made for use in Indian and Islamicate contexts, where such vessels were employed for the ceremonial dispersal of scented water. The body is densely decorated with floral ornament arranged in shaped panels and registers. Large yellow-ground cartouches contain flowering sprays, surrounded by scrolling blossoms and foliage in bright famille rose enamels. Around the shoulder and lower body, repeated lappet bands in red, turquoise and white create a structured ornamental rhythm, while the neck is enlivened with blue floral scrolls, red key-fret borders and teardrop-shaped panels enclosing further stylised motifs. The sprinkler’s construction is carefully segmented, with a broad lower body, raised collar, rounded central knop and tapering upper section leading to the long tube. This vertical sequence gives the vessel an architectural quality, each element distinguished by contrasting pattern and colour. The underside is comparatively plain, centred by a blue floral mark, while the exterior is conceived as a continuous decorative field intended to be viewed in the hand or displayed upright. Chinese enamel vessels made for the Indian market reflect the adaptability of Qing workshops to foreign forms and rituals. The rosewater sprinkler was associated with hospitality, refinement and ceremonial presentation, and its adoption into Chinese painted enamel production demonstrates the close relationship between form, function and export taste during the Qianlong period. Here, the vessel’s Indian-market shape is combined with Chinese floral ornament and the brilliant colouristic language of eighteenth-century enamel work. This rosewater sprinkler is a refined example of Qianlong-period enamel made for the Indian market, uniting a specialised ceremonial form with elaborate floral decoration and finely controlled surface design. Height: 30 cm

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