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A pair of cinnabar lacquer vases Republic period
Sold for US$10,000 inc. premium
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A pair of cinnabar lacquer vases
Of pear shape, the sides incised in continuous garden tableaux of scholars and attendants engaging in erudite activities of chess, the zither, and the appreciation of calligraphy and painting; below an unusual band at the neck with a circular medallion enclosing the three Latin letters PBE and above an incised rectangular cartouche reading Caizheng Bu Yinshua Ju Zhi towards the bottom.
9in (23cm) high
Footnotes
The Caizheng Bu Yinshua ju (the Printing House of the Ministry of Finance) was founded soon after the fall of the Qing dynasty. That mark and the high quality of the workmanship on these vases could suggest they were government commissions for one of the early 20th century international world fairs-- the 'E' thus standing for 'exposition' or 'exhibition.' The link to the newly founded Ministry of Finance could also suggest that the 'B' in the cartouches might stand for 'bank,' making these vases goodwill gestures to other major players in the international world of finance on behalf of the newly founded Republic.














