The form of the present lot is derived from Tibetan altar vases, and is probably based on a jewel-encrusted silver original known as a Bumpa, the Tibetan word for 'vase'. Vessels of this type were made for use in Buddhist chapels, situated within the Palace grounds, that were constructed throughout the Qianlong period. For an illustration of a silver Bumpa, see Cultural Relics of Tibetan Buddhism Collected in the Qing Palace, pl. 146; where the author mentioned Bumpa vessels were originally used in Tibet for displaying sprays of herbs and placed in front of images of Buddha.

Three pairs of similar famille rose vases, each pair decorated with different coloured-ground, from the Fonthill Heirlooms were sold in our London Rooms, 18 October 1971, lot 71, of rose-pink ground; lot 72, Ruby-red ground; lot 73, yellow-ground. A turquoise-ground example in the Shanghai Museum is illustrated in Chugoku Toji Zenshu, vol. 12, pl. 130.