Pair of Chinese Cloisonne Ewers, Qianlong Mark, Qing Dynasty / Republic Period A8WA A8WAW

Description: an example with a similar shape is in the Palace of Fontainbleau (Chateau de Fontinebleau)
Provenance: Purchased in Tokyo in the late 1940's or early 1950's by an American Colonel during post World War II occupation
Measurements: Height: each 15 1/2 inches
Condition: each with some rubbing to the gilding, with general wear as expected, including possible small surface dents, and some areas tarnished or oxidized, the enamel of each with some pitting, small gaps, possible cracks, flakes or chips and with possible loss to the inlay
one ewer with a broken cover chain; with a small patch of chips to the enamel near the base of the spout, the patch 3/8 inch in diameter by touch, but there are two chips within that patch that are visible and each is approx. 1/4 inch by 1/8 inch, there is a chip to the blue ground enamel on the neck approx. 1/4 inch by 1/16 inch with an associated filled spot of a similar size; the ewer is lacking the inlay that originally decorated the bronze spout support that attached the top of the spout to the body of the vessel, the remaining inlay, lapis and coral have nicks on the edges and the coral is inlaid in three parts with some filling along the lines; the ewer with some pitting to the metal underside, the pitting is on the lower left of the mark, and it does run through the lower mark in places; the cover with pitting to the enamel and with one round gap 1/16 of an inch in diameter
the other ewer with the finial detached from the cover, simply lacking one screw to keep it together; the enamel with some clustered chips or gaps in the enamel just above the central lotus decoration, the two largest chips each approx. 1/4 inch long by 1/8 inch wide, the entire patch of chips and pitting is approx. 1 1/2 inches by 1/2 inch on one end and an inch on the other, this area possibly due to the chained finial hitting the body at that point, the pitting on this ewer is filled with a dark substance, on the same side of the ewer the neck has some nicks and gaps in the enamel that is also filled with a dark substance, the enamel on the other side of the vessel has a few scattered gaps in the enamel that is filled with a dark substance, the largest approx. 1/8 in diameter; the ewer lacking the coral inlay at the base of the handle, and the lapis inlay with some chips along the edges; the cover with two filled casting flaws on the rim, the enamel on the cover with pitting and small gaps