A SUPERB CORAL INLAID AND EMBELLISHED GOLD BOX AND COVER QING DYNASTY, YONGZHENG / QIANLONG PERIOD

THIS IS A PREMIUM LOT. CLIENTS WHO WISH TO BID ON PREMIUM LOTS ARE REQUESTED TO COMPLETE THE PREMIUM LOT PRE-REGISTRATION 3 WORKING DAYS PRIOR TO THE SALE.

the small square box with contoured sides gently curving to canted corners, all resting on four short feet, the thickly hammered gold body superbly and intricately set in the cloisonné technique with thick sheets of gold incised on top to resemble twisted wire and inlaid with small sections of coral, ornately adorned with freshwater seed pearls forming five-petalled blossoms and singular gems, the flattened cover similarly decorated with pearls to the centre depicting the character shou within a border of twisted gold wire, surrounded by further pearl florets

Chinese Gold and Silver in the Carl Kempe Collection, The Smithsonian Institute, Washington D.C., 1954, cat.no. 75.
The Arts of the Ch'ing Dynasty, Oriental Ceramic Society, London, 1963-64, cat.no. 354.
Chinese Gold, Silver and Porcelain: The Kempe Collection, Asia House Gallery, New York, 1971, cat.no. 31, an exhibition touring the United States and equally shown at
Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington;
M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, San Francisco, California;
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas;
Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, Dallas, Texas;
The Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts, Columbus, Ohio;
Des Moines Art Center, Des Moines, Iowa;
The Denver Art Museum, Denver, Colorado;
Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Salt Lake City, Utah;
Krannert Art Museum, Champaign, Illinois.

Bo Gyllensvard, Chinese Gold and Silver in the Carl Kempe Collection, Stockholm, 1953, pl. 75.
R. Soame Jenyns and William Watson, Chinese Art. The Minor Arts, Fribourg, 1963, pl. 5.
Chinese Gold and Silver in the Carl Kempe Collection, Ulricehamn, 1999, pl. 73.

The overall condition of the box and cover is very good. A few of the coral pieces and the pearls have fallen out and have been remounted with glue or wax. The pieces were originally held in place with wax, with traces of the old wax still visible around the pearls. There are 4 minor areas where the coral has fallen out on the exterior and interior. It is interesting to note that the base of the box has been lightly inscribed with numbers one through four along the edge of the four sides. The actual colour of the coral is slightly paler and less intense than in the catalogue illustration.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Treasure of the Sea
Hajni Elias

This exquisite covered box is a fine example of gold containers made for the personal use of the imperial family. It is delicate in size, graceful and elegant in form and lavish in its decoration demonstrating that it is likely to have belonged to one of the emperor's consorts or court ladies in the Palace. The box is expertly crafted, with the thick gold body covered with coral pieces that are fixed to the vessel in the cloisonné technique with sheets of gold incised on top that look like twisted wire. The sheets  form a deep wall and create 'cells' in which the coral pieces are placed with perfect fit. Small seed pearls are arranged in form of five-petalled blossoms, creating the much favoured 'prunus on cracked ice' design. Pearls also form the shou (longevity) character on the cover in a lobed panel. The uneven surface of the coral inlay is intentional and serves as luxurious 'cushion' for the many small pearls that nestle on it.   

This covered box is a unique piece and no similar example appears to be recorded. It is the work of craftsmen working in the Zaobanchu (Palace Workshops) under the supervision of the Neiwufu (Imperial Household Department) in charge of the management of provisions for the court and the palace. The Zaobanchu was responsible for the making of items for the personal use of the Emperor and his family.

The small freshwater seed pearls, also known as 'Eastern pearls', were harvested from the Sungari, Yalu and Amur rivers in Machuria. They were especially treasured by the Manchus for their association with their homeland and their use was only for the decoration of objects and costumes worn by the emperor or members of his family. Thousands of small freshwater pearls can be found embroidered on imperial court robes (jifu), such as the Qianlong imperial robe sold in these rooms, 10th April 2006, lot 1540. For examples of pearls used for women's accessories, see a gold hat ornament in the form of a shou character inlaid with 'Eastern pearls', included in the Exhibition of Ch'ing Dynasty Costume Accessories, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1986, cat.no. 20.

Coral has also been treasured by the Chinese, with the flawless, hard and dense coral of uniform luster, such as that seen on this box, considered of the highest quality. Traditionally it was compared to pearl or even taken to be a type of pearl. Hence, the combination of coral and pearl make the perfect decoration considering their link with each other and the very high esteem enjoyed by both of these materials.

The design of 'prunus on cracked ice' was a popular decorative motif during the Qing dynasty and can be found on cloisonné, ceramics and enamelled metal wares. A Kangxi mark and period cloisonné censer decorated with this motif, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, is illustrated in Enamel Ware in the Ming and Ch'ing Dynasties, Taipei, 1999, pl. 26. A Beijing enamelled vase with a Qianlong reign mark and of the period, painted with this pattern, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is included in Zhongguo jinyin boli falangqi quanji, vol. 6, Shijiazhuang, 2002, pl. 167, together with a teapot decorated with the same design, pl. 179. See also a vase with raised trellis work and flowers in repousse, recreating the 'prunus on cracked ice' design, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, published in Sir Harry Garner, Chinese and Japanese Cloisonné Enamels, London, 1962, pl. 79.

For examples of Qianlong period gold containers see three boxes inlaid with precious stones on a gold filigree ground illustrated in Masterpieces of Chinese Miniature Crafts in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1971,  pl. 41; and two boxes included in the Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition Arts of the Ch'ing Dynasty, London, 1964, cat.no. 355, in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, and cat.no. 356, sold in our London rooms, 21st June 1983, lot 15, from the collections of Her late Majesty Queen Mary and H.M. Knight.