RARE GILT-BRONZE WITH CLOISONNÉ AND CHAMPLEVÉ ENAMEL DOUBLE-GOURD LANTERN QING DYNASTY, 18TH-19TH CENTURY 清 鎏金銅胎掐絲琺瑯及內填琺瑯葫蘆式玻璃宮燈 of flattened double-gourd form, inset with glass lined with silk paintings depicting deer by the cliff underneath large peach trees with gilt highlight, the glass set within two borders in foliage scroll and flower heads in champlevé enamel, the sides adorned with reticulated brocade pattern in cloisonné enamel, the waist of the double-gourd further adorned with tied ribbons on either side (31.2cm high) Qty: (1) Provenance: Formerly in a private English collection Note: Gourd (Hu Lu), homophonic to "Fu Lu", has been a well-loved auspicious fruit since ancient times. Double-gourd lanterns such as the present example were used in palaces during Chinese New Year in Yuanmingyuan, Ningshou Palace and other places. In the painting "Hongli Lantern Festival 《弘曆元宵行樂圖》", Emperor Qianlong was appreciating the lanterns in Yuanmingyuan, with a pair of double-gourd lanterns hanging beside him. Two cloisonné enamel double-gourd lanterns of similar form and gilt-bronze ribbon around the waist, dated to the Qing dynasty, are in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, museum number Gu 故 00117771 and 00117772; a further comparable pair of cloisonné enamel double-gourd lanterns, dated to the Qianlong period, was sold at Christie's London, 9 Nov 2010, lot 262.