Foliated dish with bats amid clouds
With five bats flying among swirling multicolored clouds (qingyun), this dish represents Heaven’s blessings in response to the emperor’s rule. The polychromatic nature of cloisonné enamels lent itself particularly well to the depiction of this auspicious motif. Colorful clouds were depicted in cloisonné since at least the Wanli period (1573–1620), but this design became more ubiquitous in Qing imperial decorative arts. During the Qianlong period, technical innovations in painted enamels, such as the homogeneous pink seen in some of the clouds, were transferred to cloisonné.
Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.
