Peach Blossom ring

THE QING DYNASTY EMPEROR KANGXI (1662-1722), A GREAT LOVER OF THE ARTS, ADMIRED THE NEW GLASS COMPOUND ENAMEL COLOURS COMING FROM EU- ROPE. THESE NEW COLOURS WERE KNOWN AS ‘WESTERN COLOURS’ IN THE QING COURT AND TO MASTER THEIR TECHNIQUES, EMPEROR KANGXI SET UP AN ENAMEL WORKSHOP IN 1700 OVERSEEN BY THE IMPERIAL WORKSHOP IN BEIJING AND THE FORMER LIMO- GES ENAMELLER AND JESUIT JEAN-BAPTISTE GRAVEREAU (CHEN ZHONGXIN), WHO WAS TO PLAY SUCH A DECISIVE ROLE IN ACHIEVING KANGXI’S GOAL.THE HIGHLY SOPHISTICATED ENAMEL PAINTING TECHNIQUE WHICH HAD BEEN INTRO- DUCED FROM FRANCE TO CHINA BECAME INCREASINGLY SOPHISTICATED UNDER THE AEGIS OF ARTISANS FROM EUROPE AND THOSE WORKING IN GUANGZHOU, WHERE THE FIRST WORKS WERE PRODUCED. BY THE END OF EMPEROR KANGXI’S REIGN THESE ENAMEL WORKS OF ART WERE EXQUISITELY PAINTED. MANY OF THESE PIECES HAD A YELLOW BACKGROUND SYMBOLISING THE EMPEROR WHILST OTHERS HAD A WHITE BACK- GROUND.BY 1720, NEW ENAMEL COLOURS ALLOWED THE PORCELAIN WORKSHOPS IN JINGDEZHEN T