A PAIR OF CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL MINIATURE ‘BUDDHIST LION’ VASES, HU, QING DYNASTYChina, 1644-1912. Each with a pear-shaped body supported on a short foot and rising to a galleried rim, set with two lion mask handles suspending loose rings, decorated with nine Buddhist lions playing with a brocade ball and chasing each other, all against a turquoise ground with scrolling clouds and red flames.Provenance: Collection of Arnold Vissière, Paris, France, thence by descent in the same family. Arnold Vissière (1858-1930) was a French sinologist born in Paris and one of the creators of the French School of the Far East system. He worked as an interpreter at the French legation in Beijing and became a professor at the École des Langues Orientales Vivantes in 1911. Later, Vissière was appointed Consul General in Shanghai and then Minister Plenipotentiary in China. He also worked at the National Library on the catalog of Chinese books. Vissière collected Chinese art including Chinese maps, some of which are exhibited in the Musée Guimet.Condition: Very good condition with minor wear, few small nicks, light scratches, minuscule bruises, and minor losses to the enamels. The miniature rings on the masks slightly warped.Weight: 85.1 g and 88.6 gDimensions: Height 7.5 cm and 7.6 cmAuction resultparison:Type: Remotely relatedAuction: San Francisco, 24 June 2013, lot 1134Price: USD 7,500 or approx.EUR 8,700 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A pair of small cloisonné enameled metal vases, 18th/19th centuryExpert remark:pare the form and enamels. Note the slightly larger size (11.5 cm).清代一對掐絲琺瑯太獅尊中國，1644-1912年。大口，口以下漸放，垂腹，圈足，獅面輔首啣環，藍地掐絲琺瑯，飾九頭太獅戲球，互相追逐，祥雲圍繞，紅色的火焰。