- 48
A CARVED CINNABAR LACQUER BOX AND COVER QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD
Description
- lacquer and bone
Provenance
Condition
"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."
Catalogue Note
Boxes simulating bound books were produced in a variety of media; for example see two cloisonné enamel three-tiered boxes sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, the first, 28th November 2005, lot 1500, and the second, 1st December 2010, lot 3180A, from the collection of Dr Zhang En Hong, the personal physician to Emperor Puyi (1942-1967); two small wooden boxes sold at Christie’s New York, 15th September 2011, lot 1279; and a porcelain box in the Shanghai Museum, illustrated in The Complete Works of Chinese Ceramics. Qing, vol. 15, Shanghai, 2000, pl. 51.
The design of ball-flowers is unique in its severe abstraction and appears to have been inspired by the Japanese heraldic family symbols, mon. The Yongzheng and Qianlong Emperors are known to have been greatly interested in Japanese works of art and to have commissioned reproductions in various media. See a revolving vase with a related design, with a Qianlong mark and of the period, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the Museum’s exhibition Stunning Decorative Porcelains from the Ch’ien-lung Reign, Taipei, 2008, pl. 76.