A MASSIVE INLAID ZITAN BOX AND COVER, ATTRIBUTED TO ZHOU ZHU MING DYNASTY, JIAJING PERIOD

THIS IS A PREMIUM LOT. CLIENTS WHO WISH TO BID ON PREMIUM LOTS MAY BE REQUESTED BY SOTHEBY'S TO COMPLETE THE PRE-REGISTRATION APPLICATION FORM AND TO DELIVER TO SOTHEBY'S A DEPOSIT OF HK$1,000,000, OR SUCH OTHER HIGHER AMOUNT AS MAY BE DETERMINED BY SOTHEBY'S, AND ANY FINANCIAL REFERENCES, GUARANTEES AND/OR SUCH OTHER SECURITY AS SOTHEBY'S MAY REQUIRE IN ITS ABSOLUTE DISCRETION AS SECURITY FOR THEIR BID. THE BIDnow ONLINE BIDDING SERVICE IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR PREMIUM LOTS.

of rectangular form raised on four L-shaped feet, the cover masterfully inlaid with gathering scene centred with a scholar grasping a ruyi sceptre in his hand, accompanied by further gentlemen, ladies, and an attendant, their hats, robes, shoes and accessories in finely detailed different colours of soapstone, malachite, azurite, lacquer, horn, gold, silver and pearls, all in a garden setting with furniture and antiques similarly decorated in various colours of soapstone, lacquer, coral, jade and gilt-bronze, amid plantain and paulownia trees against a rich dark wood ground, the sides densely inlaid with blossoming branches of prunus, plum, tea and hydrangea, the flowers with soapstone and pearl petals, the rim of the cover and box with inlaid silver wire scroll bands, the wood of a deep reddish brown, fitted brocade box

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 16/17th November 1988, lot 256.

Sotheby's Hong Kong Twenty Years, Hong Kong, 1993, pl. 406.

The overall condition is very good. There are some minor pieces of inlay which has been restuck or replaced, but apart from some very minor flakes, age cracks, and expected tarnishing to the metals, most of the inlays have been very well preserved. There are also some minor nicks to the wood and a few edges have been filled in to stabilise some typical shrinkage in the wood.
"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."

This exquisite box belongs to a small group of inlaid containers typically produced in the precious zitan wood, and occasionally in huanghuali. Generally they are of rectangular form and are finished with elegantly rounded covers and sides. The present example stands out for its magnificent size and within the group it is the largest example recorded. It is also of exceptional quality with the inlay decoration applied both to the cover and the sides which is rarely seen on other boxes of this type. Only one three-tiered box appears to bear such floral side decoration, illustrated in Zhongguo wenwu jinhua dacidian, Shanghai, 1996, pl. 116.

The exceptional workmanship displayed here, especially in the quality of the beautiful inlay suggests that it is by the hand of the Ming master carver Zhou Zhu, famed for his invention of the technique of inlaying a wide variety of precious stones and other materials onto wood and lacquer. What distinguishes Zhou's works from others is his use of a much broader range of material and the complexity of the inlay itself. On the present box, and on others attributed to him, one finds coral, silver, gold, malachite, lacquer, different types of horn, mother-of-pearl and even gilt-bronze, suggesting that he had access to a wide range of crafts and materials within a single workshop. His inlay technique is extremely multifaceted, as he deployed inlay upon inlay and not just setting different material next to each other but creates a three dimensional effect. He also used precious metals such as gold and silver, often creating stunning multi-layer works of art. Later versions, even very fine and complex works from the height of the Qing dynasty, rarely employed such a wide range of complex inlay techniques.

Zhou had many talents and also excelled at carving. He is said to have made furniture such as lacquered wood screens, tables, chairs, cupboards and bookcases. He is recorded in the writings of Ming and Qing literati as having worked in Yangzhou in Jiangsu province during the reign of the Jiajing emperor. While his birth date is unknown, the Jiajing period attribution to his work is confirmed by an inlaid box that bears an inscription of a date corresponding to 1537 inscribed in red lacquer on the base, sold in these rooms, 8th October 2010, lot 2192, richly embellished with an inlay decoration depicting a scene from a Mongolian hunt. Another related cinnabar lacquer box depicting a similar hunt, was also sold in these rooms in the same sale, lot 2213. The two boxes are undoubtedly the products of the same workshop and possibly made by Zhou himself. It is worth noting that the sides of the lacquer box mentioned above are richly carved with blossoming branches, not dissimilar in style to that seen on this box, suggesting that the idea for the decoration may have derived from carved lacquer vessels.

The subject matter depicted on the present box is that of an elegant gathering known as yaji in Chinese, where a group of scholars and like-minded literati gather to enjoy music, discuss literature and talk about antiquity. There is a further indication that a birthday celebration is taking place at the same time with coral branches placed in large vessels in front of the main figure. This would suggest that the box may have been commissioned as a special birthday gift.

Zhou Zhu is discussed in a number of publications; for example see Paul Moss, Escape from the Dusty World. Chinese Paintings and Literati Works of Art, London, 1999, p.226; and Craig Clunas, Chinese Furniture, London, 1988, p. 94, where the author notes that the technique used by Zhou is known as Zhou zhi or 'Zhou's work' which was developed in the late 16th century with the first textual reference to it appearing in the encyclopaedic work by the Ming scholar Gao Lian Zun sheng ba jian ('The Eight Discourses on Living') published in 1591. Works by Zhou are further examined in Chi Jo-Hsin, 'Chou Chu and the craftsmanship of Chou Chih works', Proceedings of the International Colloquium on Chinese Art History, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1991, pp. 659-679, where it is mentioned that Zhou enjoyed the patronage of the Grand Secretary and Imperial confidant Yan Song (1480-1565). Yan's sponsorship would suggest that Zhou's pieces were well known by the court and possibly to the emperor himself. The fitted case for this box, the interior covered with a yellow silk brocade with the dragon motif, suggests that the piece was part of the Imperial collection during the Qing dynasty. See an imperial case, lined with a similar yellow brocade, containing a Kangxi period Imperial painting album, published in The National Palace Museum Monthly of Chinese Art, no. 4, 1983, p. 11.

The most comprehensive group of related inlaid-boxes can be found in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Hong Kong, 2002, cat. nos. 219-248. A box decorated with a hunting scene, most probably the work of Zhou, is published in The Palace Museum Collection of Elite Carving, Beijing, 2004, pl. 100, together with a container luxuriously embellished on all sides with gems forming flowers, fruits and birds, pl. 99.  

The only piece known to be signed by Zhou is an inkstone box that bears a Qianlong poem composed in 1784, illustrated in Treasures from the Scholar's Studio, Tokyo, 1992, pl. 205, and also in The National Palace Museum Monthly of Chinese Art, no. 18, 1984, p. 48, with the signature shown on p. 49. The signature, inlaid on the base of the box in silver wire reads Wumen Zhou Zhu (Zhou Zhu of Wumen) in seal script. The inkstone itself is inscribed with a Xuande reign mark and the Imperial poem notes that it was a Xuande inkstone copied from a Song dynasty original. The inscription suggests that Zhou made a cover for an existing 15th century work from the Imperial collection, which was later inscribed with Qianlong's poem.