A Pair of Painted Lacquer Cups Western Han Dynasty

each delicately constructed with deep rounded sides tapering towards a flat foot, the exterior lacquered in black and further painted in pale brown and red lacquer, one cup with a double-dragon, the other with a double-phoenix, between a band of knotted geometric motifs at the rim and a row of ‘S’-scrolls encircling the base, the interior lacquered in red

Layered Beauty: The Baoyizhai Collection of Chinese Lacquer, Art Museum, Institute of Chinese Studies, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2010, cat. no. 4.

The wooden core was decayed, due to burial but the lacquer holds its form. The lacquer surface is wrinkled, but well perserved and has been stabilised to prevent further flaking or loss of details.
"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 pair of cups is extremely rare, and no other similar lacquer vessel of this shape appears to be recorded. In its form it is reminiscent of early jade cups, such as the piece recovered in 1995 from the imperial tomb of the Chu State of the Western Han period in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, as noted by Peter Lam in Lacquered Beauty, Hong Kong, 2010, p. 22. The shape is also known from an Eastern Zhou period glass beaker, formerly in the Béhague collection and now in the Miho Museum, Japan, illustrated in Giuseppe Eskenazi and Hajni Elias, A Dealer’s Hand. The Chinese Art World Through the Eyes of Giuseppe Eskenazi, London, 2012, fig. 83.