清十八世紀 黃花梨嵌寶龍紋盝頂官皮箱

finely inlaid with an array of multi-coloured hardstones and mother-of-pearl, the removable front cover carved in relief with a ferocious five-clawed dragon writhing amidst clouds and flames in pursuit of a flaming pearl, within a border of beribboned bajixiang and bats, the top with a raised panel enclosing a pavilion scene accented with rockwork and gnarled trees, further surrounded by detached flower sprays around the canted border, two sides embellished with birds and butterflies hovering among flower branches, flanked by a pair of C-shaped handles, set with seven similarly decorated drawers behind the front cover, the straight sides with exposed dovetail joints

The dragon cabinet is preserved in overall good condition. The hardstone and mother of pearl inlays are fragile, and several have been carefully refixed over the years. There has been some consolidation to the corners and underside of the cabinet. The drawers inside are complete, but there has been minor restoration, with drawers glued on to stay stable. The top right drawer is now difficult to fit due to some slight expansion, and would benefit from simple restoration to ensure proper fitting and stability.
"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."

本品雕刻精細，器身嵌百寶，紋飾複雜，其將不同厚度之螺鈿、寶石組合，圖案立體生動，誠為不同尋常之作。匠人巧用母貝磨製祥雲及龍角，一展天馬行空之創造力，所飾龍紋勇猛生威，栩栩如生，彷彿躍然騰出器表，衝入雲霄。 可比一黃花梨嵌寶嬰戲圖官皮箱，為 Philip Ng 珍藏，錄於Karen Mazurkewich，《Chinese Furniture. A Guide to Collecting Antiques》，拉特蘭，2006年，圖版408；另參考一例，屬 Erica Phillips 雅蓄，後售於紐約佳士得2010年3月25日，編號815。

此類官皮箱功用不一，可儲梳妝物品，珠寶或者其他貴重之物，亦可置於案頭，存筆墨、印章等文房用品。