The Macartney Embassy: Gifts Exchanged between George III and the Qianlong Emperor
An eighteenth century diplomatic mission yielded exquisite gifts
Pair of double-gourd-shaped vases
mark and reign of Qianlong, 1736-95RCIN 33
This pair of Chinese porcelain vases were described in the gift inventory as ‘‘yangcai’ [foreign-colour] enamel, gourd-shaped porcelain vases, one pair’. On the base, in iron red, is the six-character Qianlong reign-mark written in seal script.