明永樂 剔紅牡丹紋蓋盒 《大明永樂年製》款

the cover well carved through the thick cinnabar lacquer to the yellow-ochre ground with three large flowering peony blooms amidst budding blossoms and dense foliage, the sides of the box and cover similarly carved with further blooms interspersed with buds and leaves, the interior and recessed base lacquered dark brown, the base incised with a six-character reign mark, Japanese wood box (4)

法國私人收藏（傳）

The box and cover are in overall good condition with typical age cracks, shrinkage and areas of retouching, including to the exterior sides, to the rims, and to a small L-shaped section (approx. 3.2 x 3.2 cm) on the interior. A narrow 1-cm loss and associated crack to the lower rim of the box. The base possible re-lacquered and the mark refreshed.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Boxes were among the most popular items made in carved lacquer for the imperial court during the Yongle and Xuande reigns, but boxes of this size and design are very rare. Skilfully decorated on the cover with three blooming peonies among dense foliage against the yellow ochre ground, this box is notable for its deep carving contributing a greater sense of three-dimensionality.

A Yongle box similarly carved with three peony blooms in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, but much larger in size, is included in the exhibition Heguang ticai. Gugong zang qi/Carving the Subtle Radiance of Colors. Treasured Lacquerware in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2008, cat. no. 011, together with a Xuande example of large size and comparable design, cat. no. 012. See two other large boxes of similar design, dated to the early Ming dynasty, included in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Lacquer Wares of the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, Hong Kong, 2006, plates 71 and 73.

Compare Yongle boxes of similar size and form, but carved on the cover with five peony blooms, such as one from the collection of H.M. King of Sweden, illustrated in Jan Wirgin, ‘Some Chinese Carved Lacquer of the Yuan and Ming Periods’, Bulletin of the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, no. 44, 1972, pl. 11, no. 14; and another from the Edward T. Chow Collection, included in the exhibition One Man’s Taste. Treasures from the Lakeside Pavilion, Galleries of the Baur Collection, Geneva, 1988, cat. no. L11, and sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 3rd May 1994, lot 278.