CHINE DYNASTIE QING, MARQUE ET ÉPOQUE QIANLONG (1735 - 1796)

= Rare and important pair of blue-white porcelain campanulate cups, the body decorated with two imperial dragons chasing the pearl among the clouds above the tumultuous waves, under a frieze of ruyi heads. The interior with a frieze of intertwined ruyi heads in shades of blue, and a central medallion decorated with a five-clawed dragon. The base with a six-character Qianlong mark in zhuanshu in blue underglaze. Labeled "J.J. Klejman Gallery New York, N.Y." under one and labels "J.J. Klejman Gallery New York, N.Y." and "Frank Caro successor to C.T. Loo" under the other. H. 9.4 cm - D. 13.3 cm PROVENANCE Bought in the 1960s-1970s in New York. Collection of an important French aristocratic family. Rediscovery of a rare pair of imperial cups Mark and Qianlong period Qianlong "Enduring Prosperity" was the reigning name chosen by the young Prince Hongli, fourth son of the Emperor Yongzheng, when he ascended the throne of the Middle Kingdom on October 18, 1735, after the death of his father. With this eminently auspicious name, Qianlong was to leave a lasting mark on China during a reign of more than 60 years, and remains today one of the greatest monarchs that the Qing dynasty has known. This one was born in the chaotic atmosphere of the fall of the Ming dynasty and the suicide of its last representative, the Chongzhen emperor in 1644. The Manchu troops besieged Beijing and chased away the rebel Li Zicheng, the ephemeral usurper of imperial power. The young Aisingioro Fulin was installed on the throne of the empire under the name of Shunzhi reign (r.1644 - 1661). This new dynasty then claimed its filiation with the Jürchens tribes, a confederation of nomadic Tungus tribes, having provoked the fall of the Northern Song (960 - 1125) and founded the short-lived Jin dynasty. It was at the turn of the 17th century that the genesis of the Qing dynasty took shape around the figure of Nurhaci, a young chief from the Gioro clan. He provided the Manchus with the instruments necessary for the creation of a future state: a script derived from Mongolian in 1599 and a fixed capital at Hetu Ala (the capital of the Qing). Hetu Ala (now Shenyang) in 1625. He also created a strong Manchu ethnic identity by reorganizing the clans in 1601 in the form of the "Eight Banners". It is an organization of the various tribes into military units but also a hereditary civil system marking the membership of an individual to a caste. His son Huang Taiji (1592 - 1643) succeeded him and consolidated this unification work. He chose a new dynastic name Qing meaning "pure" to distance himself from the decadence of the Ming dynasty. It is this thesis of the corruption and negligence of the Ming emperors that will justify the invasion of China and the "celestial mandate" given to the Manchus. The rulers of the new Qing dynasty will not stop unifying this immense empire, notably through adherence to the ancient codes and institutions of Chinese tradition. It is then a question of affirming and justifying the new imperial power, by inscribing it in the continuity of the preceding dynasties. The reign and the personality of the emperor Qianlong (r.1735 - 1796) are examples of this will to unify and sinicize the Manchu elites. Qianlong considered himself a guardian of Chinese tradition, responsible for the transmission of this thousand-year-old culture because of his "celestial mandate". The emperor is an excellent scholar mastering calligraphy and poetry, as well as a fine connoisseur of Chinese history. He was a lover of the arts and collected paintings, calligraphy, jade, porcelain, archaeological pieces and patronized artistic creation in many fields. He was trained in Neo-Confucianism from an early age by his tutors, scholars from the Hanlin Academy, who assiduously studied classical texts from which he drew an enlightened knowledge of Chinese antiquity. Under his aegis, the collections of the Imperial Palace were evaluated, classified and catalogued, leading to the publication of collections prefaced by the emperor himself. He also led a major campaign to enrich the imperial collections, amassing bronzes, porcelains, jades, paintings and calligraphy, which he surrounded himself with daily. Qianlong was also an important patron of artistic creation. He was interested in many disciplines, including ceramics, in which he had a great personal interest. He commissioned many pieces from the imperial kilns in Jingdezhen. Many of these pieces imitate or are inspired by ancient pieces housed in imperial collections. The pair of bowls that we present is part of this interest in ancient models but also of their reinterpretation in the light of the technical and artistic possibilities of the period. CONDITION REPORT Cup 1 : A small chip to the rim Cup 2 : A small crack starting from the rim (around 8 cm) and a tiny lack of glaze to the rim