A rare large three-colour lacquer circular 'dragon' box and cover
Jiajing six-character mark and of the period
Deeply carved through the layers of cinnabar-red, dark green and brown lacquered-ground to depict a sinuous writhing dragon rising above turbulent crested waves, flanked by a peony and a lingzhi sprig growing from rocky outcrops, and below a circular 'shou' medallion, all against ruyi-shaped clouds and flame scrolls, enclosed by a border of ribboned 'precious objects', including the flaming pearl, wanzi and lingzhi fungus to the sides, the straight rims with a diaper pattern, the foot encircled by key-fret border, the interiors and the base all lacquered black, the reign mark incised in a vertical line to the centre of the base, wood box.
19.5cm (7¾in) diam. x 9.5cm (3¾in) high (3).
Deeply carved through the layers of cinnabar-red, dark green and brown lacquered-ground to depict a sinuous writhing dragon rising above turbulent crested waves, flanked by a peony and a lingzhi sprig growing from rocky outcrops, and below a circular 'shou' medallion, all against ruyi-shaped clouds and flame scrolls, enclosed by a border of ribboned 'precious objects', including the flaming pearl, wanzi and lingzhi fungus to the sides, the straight rims with a diaper pattern, the foot encircled by key-fret border, the interiors and the base all lacquered black, the reign mark incised in a vertical line to the centre of the base, wood box.
19.5cm (7¾in) diam. x 9.5cm (3¾in) high (3).
Sold for
£72,000
inc. premium
Footnotes
- Only a small number of Jiajing mark and period polychrome lacquer 'dragon' boxes of this type are known. See one slightly larger example in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, the interior inscribed with a Qianlong inscription dated to bingshen, corresponding to 1776, illustrated in Carving the Subtle Radiance of Colors. Treasured lacquerware in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2008, fig.101. Another in the Palace Museum, Beijing is illustrated in Carved lacquer in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, 1985, fig.196. Other examples of exactly the same size as the present lot include one sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 28 October 2002, lot 596, and another formerly in the Lee family collection, sold in the same rooms, 1 December 2009, lot 1833.
This group bears relation to other Imperial Jiajing period carved lacquers and ceramics in the use of auspicious motifs, including the writhing dragon, 'shou' medallion and lingzhi sprigs.
Category: Asian Art / Chinese Works of Art
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