明萬曆 剔紅天下太平雲龍紋方盒 《大明萬曆乙未年製》款

of square form with slightly bombé sides and cusped corners, all supported on a square foot, deftly carved in varied levels of relief through layers of rich cinnabar lacquer to the ocher ground below, the cover with a barbed panel enclosing a five-clawed dragon (the fifth claw on the hind feet later removed) holding aloft a ribbon of ruyi-shaped clouds supporting a cash medallion flanked by sprays of millet and inscribed with the four characters tianxia taiping (peace under heaven), all above jagged rocks issuing branches of coral against a wavy sea and a sky of floral diapers, the four corners decorated with foliate mallows on a finely carved ochre-yellow diaper-ground, all surrounded around the sides by rectangular panels enclosing a continuous scroll of camellia, chrysanthemum, hibiscus and peony wreathed in their matching foliage and repeated in a reverse sequence around the box, all reserved on a dense floral ground, the foot picked out with key-fret, the interior and the base lacquered in black, the latter dated with an incised eight-character reign mark in gilt 

 

Frederick Mayer 收藏
倫敦佳士得1974年6月24及25日，編號120

《中國漆藝二千年》，香港東方陶瓷學會，香港中文大學文物館，香港，1993年，編號69
《疊彩：抱一齋藏中國漆器》，香港中文大學文物館，香港，2010年，編號48

There are a few typical age cracks on the exterior, some at the corners that have been stabilized and relacquered, but overall the cover is in very good condition. The carving and diaper-yellow ground in particular, are remarkably well preserved. There are restorations to two corners of the rim with some relacquering on the lip and on the black lacquer on the interior. The box is also in good condition with a few small repaired chips with relacquering on the interior rim.
"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."

東京國立博物館藏一與此精雕蓋盒紋飾類近、刻銘相同干支年款作例，曾展《東洋漆工芸》，東京，1977年，編號545；同展另有一盤之龍紋與此盒相同，編號545。可作比較的一件不帶年款，但尺寸及紋飾相同的剔紅盒，2005年5月2日於香港蘇富比拍賣，編號618；另一件2000年10月30日於香港蘇富比拍賣，編號272。

林業強在《疊彩：抱一齋藏中國漆器》，頁126中提及一件剔彩長方盒，蓋面飾同類紋飾並帶萬曆己丑年款，現藏台北故宮博物院。另一件同帶萬曆乙未年款，2008年5月27日於香港佳士得拍賣，編號1563。第三件長方盒藏北京故宮博物院，帶萬曆乙未年款，見王世襄，《中國古代漆器》， 北京，1987年，圖65。

蘇格蘭國家博物館藏一件紋飾相仿的長方盒，見胡世昌及威爾金森，《中國漆器》，愛丁堡，1998年，圖22；書中頁17提到龍的其中一爪被磨去，如此盒一般。磨去其中一龍爪之做法甚為普遍，Harry Garner 爵士於其著作，《Chinese Lacquer》，倫敦，1979，頁92中提到這可能是皇帝作賞賜用時磨掉，以配合受賞賜人士較低的官銜地位。也可能是更常見、器物被盜出宮外時作掩飾來源之手段。