A RARE PAIR OF CHAMPLEVÉ ENAMEL OPENWORK BARREL-FORM STOOLS China, Qianlong period H. 52,5 cm Each of the stools are modelled in barrel-form with the circular seat decorated with three stylised bats in flight, picked out in blue, pink, red and green enamels, against a network of floral lotus blossoms and scrolls with a central passion flower. The bats and floral motifs are repeated around the gently rounded sides, rendered with two areas of openwork. All these are on a turquoise ground with lotus and floral scrolls and in-between ruyi-heads bands above and below. The underside base is unsealed. Important German aristocratic private collection, assembled in China prior to 1904 and owned by the family since then Metal-bodied enamel stools in pairs are very rare. On this current pair of stools, aesthetic qualities and functionality converge harmoniously in an auspicious fashion, underscored by propitious motifs such as bats and lotus flowers. A similarly shaped cloisonné enamel stool decorated with butterflies, floral motifs and bosses is in the Beijing Palace Museum, illustrated in Enamels -4- Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum, Beijing, 2011, pl. 130. A very similar decorated stool is still preserved in the collection of the Palace Museum and published 'The Complete Collection of Ming and Qing Furniture in the Palace Museum Collection - Stool', No. , pp. 50 - 54 and p. 111 for a similar decorated panel. A similar pair of Champlevé stools was sold at Christie's Hongkong, 28.5.2014, lot 3333 Traces of age, partly chipped or minor filled losses to enamels