A SUPERB WHITE JADE 'QUAIL' BOX AND COVER QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD |

of circular section, the flat top of the cover finely worked with two quail, one rendered perched on a rocky promontory and the other sweeping downwards, each bird superbly depicted with fine plumage, the scene further decorated with millet stems issuing from behind jagged rockwork with small lingzhi blooms nearby, all enclosed within a raised circular band repeated at the rim, the box supported on a short straight foot, the lustrous stone of an even white colour, wood stand

There are expected minor bruises and nicks to the fragile edges, especially the rims. The box and cover are otherwise in very good overall 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."

This charming box is delicately carved with an auspicious motif of two quail among millet sprays. The frozen movement of the two birds, the swaying millet sprays and the undecorated background, successfully capture a sense of quiet stillness. The composition follows in the tradition of ‘flower-and-bird’ paintings that can be traced back to as early as the Five Dynasties period (906-60 AD). A distinctive painting genre from the Song dynasty (960-1279) onwards, flower-and-bird paintings were typically created by academy painters working for the court and were a favourite subject of the great imperial connoisseur, collector and amateur painter, Zhao Ji, the Huizong Emperor (r. 1101-25 AD) himself. This genre continued to develop after the court moved to Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, and thereby established the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279). The asymmetrical composition of the design, with the majority of pictorial elements on the lower left corner of the cover, is reminiscent of flower-and-bird paintings of this period.

Boxes of this size and carved with this motif are unusual. Compare a smaller box decorated with magpies perched on a pomegranate branch, in the British Museum, London, illustrated in Jessica Rawson, Chinese Jade from the Neolithic to the Qing, London, 1995, pl. 29:11, possibly the same box from the collection of Geoffrey C. Hughes, sold at Christie’s New York, 27th November 1991, lot 191; and another carved with a prunus branch, sold in our New York rooms, 31st March / 1st April 2005, lot 77. See also a flattened jade vase, carved on the body with this motif, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Zhongguo yuqi quanji [Complete collection of Chinese jades], vol. 6, Shijiazhuang, 1993, pl. 217; and another in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, is published in Ming Wilson, Chinese Jades, London, 2004, pl. 50.

Boxes of this circular form were used for holding incense, and often displayed together with an incense burner and a small vase. Two jade garniture sets of this type, but the boxes carved on the cover with different motifs, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, are illustrated in Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum. Jade, vol. 10: Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, pls 112 and 113.