A LARGE PAIR OF CINNABAR LACQUER ‘EIGHT IMMORTALS’ VASES, QING DYNASTYThe body entirely covered with rich cinnabar lacquer carved and incised in deep reliefChina, late 18th – 19th century Each of the two compressed baluster vases in the center with a mirroring circumferential scroll depicting several of the Eight Immortals, such as He Xiangu standing on a lotus leaf or Lu Dongbin riding on a tiger, in a majestic landscape with layered and craggy rockwork, pine and wutong trees, as well as several attendants and scholars. The sprawling and tapered neck with foliate lotus bands below a single ruyi border and a central ring with neatly incised diaper patterns. The splayed foot with another lotus band between two key fret borders and an archaistic blade band. The interior and base black lacquered. This remarkably imposing pair of cinnabar vases is a fine example of lacquer production. The quality and style of carving, as well as the generous use of space emphasizing the carved design are typical of the style prevalent during the second half of the Qianlong period which naturally would has continued for some time into the subsequent reigns during the mid Qing dynasty. (2)Shape: BalusterWeight: 1.8 kilograms eachDimensions: Height 54 cm eachCondition: Superb condition with only minor crazing to black lacquer and possibly some very tiny flaws, which were not discovered even at close inspection;Provenance: From an American private estate.Literature comparison: Compare with the pair of archaistic carved lacquer vases, cyclically dated to AD 1784, in the British Museum, illustrated by D. Clifford, Chinese Carved Lacquer, London, 1992, p.135, pl.109; see also a related cinnabar lacquer vase, 18th/19th century, illustrated by Chen Huixia, Carving the Subtle Radiance of Colors: Treasured Lacquerware in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2008, pl.166.Auction result comparison: FINE CHINESE ART. Bonham's, 10 Nov 2016, LONDON, lot 148. (for another pair of cinnabar 'eight immortals' vases, significantly larger) ASIAN ART. SOTHEBY'S, 16 SEPTEMBER 2017, NEW YORK, lot 858. (for a related pair of cinnabar lacquer vases from the later Qing dynasty, with approximately the same size)清代一對大型剔紅八仙人物花觚剔紅漆雕，深浮雕中國， 十八世紀晚期至十九世紀 每個花觚中間部位如一個展開的捲軸，描繪了八仙中的幾位仙人，如站在荷葉上的何仙姑或騎著老虎的呂洞賓；在雄偉的景觀中，有層次分明的岩石、松樹和梧桐樹，還有幾個仙童和文人學士。 頸部中間飾纏枝西番蓮與芭蕉紋。底足往外張開，飾有纏枝西番蓮與蟬紋。瓶內和底部上黑漆。這對華麗的花觚是漆器製作中一個很好的例子。 雕刻的質量和風格，以及強調雕刻設計的空間的大量使用，是乾隆後半期流行的典型風格，在清中時期持續一段時間。造型：圓瓶重量：每件1.8 公斤尺寸：每件高54 厘米 品相：保存極好，瓶内邊緣黑色漆有輕微裂紋；也許還有一些輕微缺陷，不過在仔細檢查中并未發現。來源：美國私人遺產文獻比較：一對1784年的仿古雕漆瓶可見於大英博物館内，出版者D. Clifford, Chinese Carved Lacquer, London, 1992, p.135, pl.109; 或一個十八至十九世紀的漆瓶 Chen Huixia, Carving the Subtle Radiance of Colors: Treasured Lacquerware in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2008, pl.166.拍賣結果比較：FINE CHINESE ART. Bonham's, 10 Nov 2016, LONDON, lot 148. (另一對更大些的八仙人物剔紅漆瓶) ASIAN ART. SOTHEBY'S, 16 SEPTEMBER 2017, NEW YORK, lot 858. (來自晚清的一堆剔紅漆瓶，幾乎相同尺寸)