A LARGE POLYCHROME CINNABAR LACQUER BOX AND COVER QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD

the box with undulating curved sides in imitation of a blossom, rising deep from a short straight foot, the body carved with discrete red prunus blossoms on a green cracked-ice ground, all reserved against a yellow floret-diaper ground, below a raised keyfret border around the rim and foot, the cover similarly decorated, the flat top displaying a large medallion with ruyi-head and keyfret border encircling a dense array of blossoms, the interior lacquered black (2)

There is a small chip of approx 1.5 cm to the interior of the box, along with a much smaller nick. Both the box and cover interiors have been relacquered. The red around the rim has been repainted. There are some expected chips to some of the prunus blossoms, and some yellow ground has been repainted. Otherwise the box and cover are in good condition overall.
"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."

Polychrome lacquer works of this design are rare, although two very close examples are a lobed three-coloured prunus and cracked ice box in the Toyko National Museum, illustrated in Sekai bijutsu daizenshu , vol. 9, Tokyo, 1998, pl. 253 and the mate to that box in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Carved Lacquer in the Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, 1985, pl. 288.  Also see a Jiajing period dish, where the carving reveals the yellow, green and red layers progressing from bottom to top, illustrated in James C. Y. Watt and Barbara Brennan Ford, East Asian Lacquer. The Florence and Herbert Irving Collection, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1991, p. 33. A dish with yellow-ground and red design, in the British Museum, is illustrated in Derek Clifford, Chinese Carved Lacquer, London, 1992, pl. 58, p. 85. See also a slightly smaller box with black over red on a yellow ground, in the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., op.cit., pl. 59, p. 86.