A RARE PAIR OF CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL ‘BUDDHIST LION’ MOON FLASKS, BIANHU, 19TH CENTURYChina. Each with a flattened globular body displaying brightly hued Buddhist lions playing with brocade balls above a turquoise ground with swirling clouds, the neck flanked by a pair of handles in the form of Buddhist lions, the foot decorated with a key-fret border. (2)Provenance: From the collection of Dr. Aurel Gonda, acquired in Shanghai circa 1937-1947, and thence by descent to the present owner. Dr. Aurel Gonda (1885-1964) was an Austro-Hungarian physician who served as a councilman and health official in Vienna. A street in Inzersdorf, in the 23rd district of Vienna, is named after him. He was the brother of architect Charles Henry Gonda, who was active in Shanghai between the 1920s and 1940s. As C. H. Gonda rose to be a renowned architect, he ran in the same circles as foreign elites, including Shanghai's top oligarch Victor Sassoon. In 1938, Aurel Gonda and his family escaped fascist Vienna and joined C. H. Gonda in Shanghai. After themunist victory in China in 1949, the brothers and their families left for the US and settled in Lakewood, New Jersey.Condition: Good condition and presenting notably well. Some wear, traces of use and expected manufacturing irregularities. Each flask with a dent and associated minor losses to the enamels. One of the handles slightly loose.Weight: 2,116 g and 1,870 gDimensions: Height 28.4 cm (each)Auction resultparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Christie’s New York, 19 June 2013, lot 322Price: USD 32,500 or approx.EUR 40,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A pair of large Chinese cloisonné enamel moon flasks, late Qing dynastyExpert remark:pare the closely related form, handles and style – despite the fact that in this example we find dragons instead of Buddhist lions as the main motif. Note the significantly larger size (54.6 cm).十九世紀一對罕見銅胎掐絲琺瑯太獅扁壺中國。扁壺，小口外撇，頸部外鼓，青綠色地上，雲彩飛舞，色彩鮮豔，太獅玩錦球，頸部兩側一對太獅耳朵，足部飾有雷紋。 (2)