Reign of the Emperor Qianlong in the Qing dynasty (1736-1796)
Overall height: 30.5cm.
Court collection

This jar has a gilded brass body. The wild duck standing with its tail raised is covered with inlaid feathers on green enamel ground and two gilded claws. The tail is hammered into shape. There is a hollow on the back of the wild duck for holding an oval jar, which is decorated with winding lotus sprays on a light blue ground and a Taoist Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate in the middle of both the left and right sides.

During the Qianlong period of the Qing dynasty, enamel ware were made not only in the Department of Works of the palace, but also in Guangzhou, Yangzhou and other places. Objects from the two sources were influenced not only by the taste of the court because they were made to order to meet the needs of the court, but also by regional differences and local characteristics. During the Qianlong reign, a large variety of enamel objects, such as the globular vase, table lamp and wine vessels, were made in Yangzhou for the court. The inlaid enamel objects made there have a distinct style. The colours of the enamel tend to be cold with the use of more green and blue than other colours. The wires are thin and skillfully inlaid. The shape of the objects, their colour and the method of inlay are vastly different from those of the products of the palace.

(Writer: Li Yongxing)