A Black Lacquer Mother-of-Pearl Inlaid Vase Qing Dynasty, 19th Century

of elongated baluster form, the tapered sides rising to a waisted slender neck and flared rim, the metal body masterfully inlaid in mother-of-pearl and gold foils with undulating bands swirling between lobed panels encircling the shoulder and base, each enclosing a different floral-diaper design, the neck similarly decorated with chrysanthemum wreathed in densely foliate scrolls, between bands of ruyi and dots at the rim and half-florets diapers at the base of the neck, the interior and the recessed base lacquered in black, the latter inlaid in mother-of-pearl with a two-character apocryphal Qianlong seal mark

Christie's London, 9th June 1975, lot 131.

2000 Years of Chinese Lacquer. Oriental Ceramic Society of Hong Kong and the Art Gallery, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1993, cat. no. 98.
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. 29.

There is a 7 by 1 mm. loss of black lacquer below the metal rim under the mouth, and some minute dents beneath the base with associate cracks and minute loss of black lacquer, but overall the vase is in very good condition and the mother-of-pearl inlays have been extremely well preserved.
"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 two-character Qianlong seal mark on the vase is clearly apocryphal, but the intricate geometrical designs on the vase are identical to those found on Kangxi inlaid lacquerwork, such as on the borders of a mother-of-pearl inlaid black cabinet from the Qing Court Collection, preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Lacquer Wares of the Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong, 2006, p.222, no. 169.

Small covered boxes with similar inlaid designs are often attributed to the 17th century craftsman Jiang Qianli, alias Qiushui, from Yangzhou in Jiangsu province. See a dish in the current sale by Jiang Qianli, lot 48. A mallow-shaped box and cover of this type was sold in these rooms, 8th April 2013, lot 180, from the Water, Pine and Stone Retreat Collection.