A porcelain gourd, having belonged to the 18th century Chinese emperor Qianlong, was auctioned off for 4.1 million euros at an auction in Bourges. With the fees, the sale to a Chinese buyer by phone amounts to almost 4.94 million euros, according to auctioneer Olivier Clair, who spoke of a "very good sale".
The gourd, in cobalt blue shades on a white background, called "Bianhu", was cooked in the ovens of the Qianlong emperor in the second half of the 18th century, said Olivier Clair. It represents an imperial dragon with five claws, in search of the sacred pearl. "There have been a number of them, but it remains very rare. Most of these objects were looted during the sack of the Summer Palace "by a Franco-English expeditionary force in 1860, detailed Me Olivier Clair.
Unclear course
“The gourd was intended for Chinese pilgrims. Little by little, it became a decorative symbol like a coronation sword. It is an object that interests the Chinese because it is their heritage, ”he added. Imperial coins from the Qianlong period are particularly sought after. A pink family porcelain bowl sold for $ 30.4 million in April 2018 at Sotheby's in Hong Kong.
In June 2018 a Chinese porcelain vase created for the emperor Qianlong reached 16.2 million euros at Sotheby's in Paris and a gourd of the same era 5.089 million euros during a sale near Tours by the Rouillac study. “We don't know how the object arrived in France, we only know its history for three generations. It belonged to an old family of the paper industry which had links with the political sphere of the XIXth century, undoubtedly relatives of Mac Mahon and Napoleon III ", explained the auctioneer.
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