Of cylindrical section below a lobed crown rim resembling a monk’s cap, the elegant spout issuing from the mouth of a gilt bronze mythical beast, the ewer divided into three sections, each with a pair of stylized kui-dragons, all reserved on a dense key-fret ground, the circular cover with a further carved with stylized dragons coiled around a bud finial, the reverse of the lobed crown rim gilt-inscribed with six character imperial 'Qianlong' mark. Qing Dynasty Qianlong period, 18th century.

Height: 17 in (43.2 cm) Width: 6 1/4 in (15.9 cm)

Provenance: Property from an important private collection in Portland, Oregon

清乾隆 剔紅銅胎鎏金夔龍紋多穆壶 「大清乾隆年製」描金六字款
The Qianlong period cinnabar lacquer production is characterized by its crisp, confident carving and brilliant red hue. The present ewer is a particularly fine example of such lacquer ware, and it is remarkable to find one in the form of Tibetan style ewer, or duomuhu. The duomuhu shape is derived from a Tibetan prototype, the bey lep, which was used for storing milk tea in Lamaist monasteries. It has a long history in China beginning in the Yuan dynasty when the religion first was adopted under Kublai Khan. Ewers such as the present lot were produced in a variety of materials, including porcelain and cloisonné, gold, and lacquer. Compare a Qing Dynasty gold Tibetan style ewer embellished with jewelry beads, in the collection of National Palace Museum, Taipei; a Qing Dynasty brown lacquer and gilt painted Tibetan ewer in the collection of Shenyang Imperial Palace Museum, Liaoning, China; and a Kangxi period black lacquer mother-of-pearl inlaid Tibetan style ewer, sold in Poly Auction, Beijing in 2009 for RMB 3,136,000.
乾隆時期的宮廷剔紅制品以其精美的雕刻和鮮豔的紅色而著稱。這件瓶子即為此類剔紅漆器的代表性例子，其西藏風格的多穆壺瓶身尤為稀少。多穆壺為藏人拌、盛酥油茶的器皿，藏語稱為董莫（mdong-mo）或多穆。酥油茶藏語稱恰穌瑪，是將由茶磚熬成的濃茶中，倒入少量的酥油和鹽，有的還加入一些味精和牛奶等佐料，攪拌至水和酥油交融而成，是藏族同胞生活的必需品，後于元代傳入中原。這種形狀的清代宮廷多穆壺有多種材質製成，包括瓷器、景泰藍、銅鎏金、和漆器。可參考一件清代金制的西藏風格多穆壺，收藏於臺北國立故宮博物院；一件清代棕漆鎏金彩畫的多穆壺，收藏於中國遼寧瀋陽故宮博物院；以及一件康熙時期黑漆鑲嵌珍珠母的西藏風格多穆壺，2009年於北京保利拍賣以人民幣 3,136,000元售出。

Condition information is available by request, no later than 24 hours prior to the auction. Any condition statement given, as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. California Asian Art Auction Gallery shall have no responsibility for any error or omission. All lots are offered and sold "as is". Paintings have not been examined out of the frame unless otherwise stated.