A PAIR OF CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL SHEEP

Massive cloisonné enamel figures of animals standing on plinths are seen as early as the Qianlong period, such as the figure of an elephant supporting a vase on its back (170 cm. high) in the Qing Court Collection, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 43 - Metal-bodied Enamel Ware, Hong Kong, 2002, pp. 142-43, pl. 137. However, unlike the scroll decoration on the body of the elephant, the maker of this pair of sheep attempted a more realistic depiction, using tightly scrolled gilt wires to imitate the curly coat of the animal. Pairs of cloisonné enamel sheep, also with Arabic inscriptions, of sizes comparable to that of the present figures were sold at Christie's New York, 18 September 2014, lot 649 and 16 September 2016, lot 1262