A SUPERBLY CARVED CINNABAR LACQUER VASE QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

the slightly compressed globular body rising from a short straight foot to a tall waisted neck with everted rim, superbly and deeply carved around the exterior with equestrian and foot soldiers amidst a rocky landscape, all within floral strapwork-filled lotus-lappet bands at the foot and shoulder, the neck with lotus strapwork reserved on a dense whorl-diaper ground and within similar lotus-lappet bands

The vase is in good overall condition with the exception of part of the lance of the second rider is missing. There is a crack to the left side of an area of rock work to the right of the figures on horse back. There is slight damage to three of the blades of the lances to the left of the second group on horse back. There is also a chip to the leaves of a tree to the right of the first group of horse and riders. There is a minor repair to one lotus scroll on the neck.
"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."

The present vase is remarkable for its carving which is unusually deep and crisp, creating an exceptional three-dimensional effect to the design composition. The high level of technical skills achieved by the Qing carvers is displayed in the details paid to the minutest features, especially that seen on the three figural scenes taken from the famous novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguo yanyi) by Lou Guanzhong (b.1321-1400) of the Ming dynasty. The three scenes carved on this vase are from three different stories in the novel. One scene shows Zhuge Liang, Chancellor of the Kingdom of Shu, drawing his arrow on Meng Huo, King of the Nanman tribe. Zhuge Liang is credited with inventing a bow for shooting several arrows at once and with perfecting a series of military tactics called the Eight Dispositions. Zhu captures Meng six times but each time agrees to let him go and allows him to come back for another battle. The seventh time Zhu is prepared to release Meng again but Meng is so touched by Zhu's benevolence that he refuses to go and swears alliance to him. The second scene is from the famous story of the defeat of Cao Cao, Chancellor of the Eastern Han, at the Battle of Red Cliffs (Chibi zhi zhan). Cao Cao is captured by the combined forces of Liu Bei and Sun Quan, two warlords who founded the kingdoms of Shu and Wu. The Battle of Red Cliffs took place in the winter of AD 208, and became the classic battle where the vastly outnumbered united armies of Liu and Sun emerged as the victor through strategy and loyalty. The third scene possibly depicts the fight between Zhuge Liang and Wei commander Sima Yi at the Wuzhang Plains. This story is known as the 'battle of wits between Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi'.    

In its style, this vase echoes that of the underglaze-blue decorated porcelains, characterized by deep and naturalistic carving and velvety smoothness to the finish. Lacquer is inherently an application on to other materials such as wood, clay or metal. Shapes and designs in the 18^th century therefore echoed the effects of contemporaneous porcelains. However, lacquer artists developed techniques of producing a multi-layered structure that could accommodate deeply carved designs rarely experienced before. The design on this vase is rendered with great precision to the minutest details. The lacquer itself is quite thick and shows a number of layers which are visible only when examined closely. The design is superbly carved on a ground of different diaper patterns, one indicating land and another indicating the sky.

This vase is closely comparable with a vase of very similar form and size but carved with three scenes of children at play, the scenes divided by similar boldly carved rockwork, in the Tianjin City Museum, illustrated in Zhongguo qiqi quanji, vol. 6, Fuzhou, 1993, pl. 227. Large lacquer vases carved with figural scenes of different form can be found in important museum collections; for example see a quatre-lobed vase decorated with four panels enclosing scholars and their acolytes within a mountainous landscape against various diaper grounds published in Masterpieces of Chinese carved Lacquer Ware in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1971, pl. 32. Compare also a hu-form vase, with a Qianlong reign mark and of the period, expertly carved with scenes of the 'Feast of the Immortals on Mount Kunlun', sold at Christie's New York, 24th March 2004, lot 14; and a pair of bottle vases, also of the Qianlong period, depicting scholars enjoying leisurely activities, sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 29^th November 2007, lot 1795.