NEW YORK CITY- A pair of Chinese cloisonné ewers sold for $425,000 at Lark Mason Associates’ April 27 & 29 sale on the iGavel platform. Each featured a gilt bronze handle, spout and rim and dated to the Republic period of the Qing Dynasty, 15½ inches high and with the Qianlong mark. The firm noted an example with a similar shape is in the Palace of Fontainebleau and another in the Pierre Uldry collection of cloisonné.

The pair sold to a buyer from Asia.

Provenance recorded their purchase in the late 1940s or 1950s by an American colonel stationed in Tokyo during post-World War II occupation. Auctioneer Lark Mason said this consignor’s connections with officials in the Japanese government and high-level society enabled access to a variety of high-quality works.

Mason said, “We had alluded to our clients that we had these in-house six months ago and interest was high. These are the finest ewers that I’ve handled within my company. There are extremely few examples of this form.

“We were very impressed with the quality and they are in extraordinarily good condition. These would have been pieces made in China for presentation to a Tibetan audience, they are ritual vessels.

“The design is a beautiful example of work from the Eighteenth Century,” Mason continues. “The central motif of flowers over a ground of scrolling leafy vines. But what sets it apart is the combination of not just the brilliant colors, but the pale blue and dark blue combination of colors on the ground, heightened by the gilded elements that frame it. It’s a thoughtfully created composition.”

Mason’s April sale grossed $1.8 million including buyer’s premium. For more information, www.larkmasonassociates.com or 212-289-5524.