A MALLOW-SHAPE ZITAN BOX AND COVER QING DYNASTY, 18TH CENTURY

of hexalobed shape carved with low-relief lines forming petals radiating out from a central medallion, the sides with lines forming stylised petals, the base of the box carved in intaglio with an excerpt of a poem written by Emperor Xiaozong of the Southern Song (r. 1163-1189), followed by an apocryphal date Wanli xinyou and signature Chen Sun Zuyi jian zhi ('Supervised by the official Sun Zuyi'), the interior carved with a seal reading yubao ('Imperial Treasure')

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 27/28^th April 1993, lot 333.

There is a 4 cm C-shape crack to the cover and a horizontal crack to the rim of the box. There are also some tiny minor chips to the footrim.
"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."

Boxes of this attractive mallow shape are found in a number of materials; for example see a larger zongzhu wood example in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Peking Palace Museum. Treasures of the Forbidden City, London, 1982, pl. 194; a laque burgaute example sold in our London rooms, 13^th May 2009, lot 95; and a slightly smaller example carved from bamboo sold at Christie's New York, 21^st September 2004, lot 46.

The form of the present box is reminiscent of Song dynasty boxes made in silver; for example see a box in the Tokyo National Museum, illustrated in So Gen no bi, Tokyo, 2004, pl. 24, together with a similarly shaped qingbai box, fig. 35, both attributed to the Southern Song period (1127-1279).