Skip to main content
Bonhams
Search

This auction has ended. View lot details

You may also be interested in

A STRING OF FORTY-FIVE ASSORTED MIXED-METAL OJIME FASTENERS Japan, Meiji (1868-1912) or Taisho (1912-1926) era, late 19th/early 20th century,
A PAIR OF LARGE TANG-STYLE PAINTED WOOD HORSES China, early 20th century

Own a similar item?

Submit your item online for a free auction estimate.

A TURQUOISE BEIJING GLASS BOTTLE VASE China, 18th/19th century,
TWO MAKIE-E LACQUER TEA BOWL STANDS Japan, late Edo period (1615–1868) or Meiji era (1868–1912), 19th century,
A SOAPSTONE FIGURE OF LI BAI China,
A rare Chinese group of the Tyrolean Dancers, Qianlong period, circa 1752
A WHITE-GLAZED BOTTLE VASE Korea, Yi dynasty,
A WHITE-GLAZED BOTTLE VASE Korea, Yi dynasty,
FOUR CHINESE YIXING WARES Late Qing dynasty - 20th century
FIVE BURMESE AND THAI GILTWOOD FIGURES OF BUDDHA Late 19th/20th century
TWO JAPANESE CELADON GLAZED STUDIO CERAMICS
Huang Shanshou (1855-1919) Dragons in Clouds
Birodo Yuzen Meiji era (1868-1912)
TWO JAPANESE BRONZE SCHOLAR'S OBJECTS Meiji/Taisho era
A KOREAN UNDERGLAZE-BLUE AND COPPER-RED-DECORATED 'GRAPEVINE' GLOBULAR JAR Late Joseon dynasty
A JAPANESE SIX-PANEL 'FARM SCENE' FOLDING SCREEN Late 19th/early 20th century
A KOREAN FOUR-PANEL 'PEONIES AND CALLIGRAPHY' FOLDING SCREEN Late Joseon dynasty
AN INSIDE-PAINTED ROCK CRYSTAL 'LADIES' SNUFF BOTTLE, SIGNED YE ZHONGSAN 1919
A CHINESE YELLOW GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE 19th century
A FAMILLE-ROSE ENAMELED PORCELAIN COVERED BALUSTER JAR 18th/19th century
A PAINTED LACQUERED-WOOD FOUR-DOOR CABINET Early 20th century
A SIXTY THREE-PLATE SUJIBACHI KABUTO HELMET Japan, late Muromachi period (1333-1573),
A MOUNTED WAKIZASHI Japan, Edo period, 19th century,
Previous Lot
Next Lot
A rare carved cinnabar lacquer 'Nine Dragons' box and cover Qianlong (1736-1795) image 1
A rare carved cinnabar lacquer 'Nine Dragons' box and cover Qianlong (1736-1795) image 2
A rare carved cinnabar lacquer 'Nine Dragons' box and cover Qianlong (1736-1795) image 3
A rare carved cinnabar lacquer 'Nine Dragons' box and cover Qianlong (1736-1795) image 4
A rare carved cinnabar lacquer 'Nine Dragons' box and cover Qianlong (1736-1795) image 5
A rare carved cinnabar lacquer 'Nine Dragons' box and cover Qianlong (1736-1795) image 6
A rare carved cinnabar lacquer 'Nine Dragons' box and cover Qianlong (1736-1795) image 7
A rare carved cinnabar lacquer 'Nine Dragons' box and cover Qianlong (1736-1795) image 8
Lot 115*

A rare carved cinnabar lacquer 'Nine Dragons' box and cover
Qianlong (1736-1795)

Cornelis Paulus van Pauwvliet: An Important Dutch Collection
21 November 2023, 13:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street

£30,000 - £50,000

Own a similar item?

Submit your item online for a free auction estimate.

How to sell

Looking for a similar item?

Our Private & Iconic Collections and House Sales specialists can help you find a similar item at an auction or via a private sale.

Find your local specialist

A rare carved cinnabar lacquer 'Nine Dragons' box and cover

Qianlong (1736-1795)
The domed cover finely carved with a five-clawed dragon moving around a 'flaming pearl', on a dense ground of tumultuous waves and flames, encircled around the sides by four dragons in profile pursuing other flaming pearls against a continuous wave ground, the base similarly decorated with four further dragons and pearls, all supported on a key-fret foot, the interior and base lacquered black, 28cm (11in) diam.

Footnotes

清乾隆 剔紅九龍紋蓋盒

Intricately carved with a complex design of nine dynamic dragons striding in pursuit of flaming pearls, the present piece reveals the opulent taste of the Qianlong emperor and the zenith of lacquer carving achieved during his reign. Rendered with ferocious expressions, gaping jaws that reveal sharp fangs, bulbous eyes and flaring nostrils, the muscular dragons thrash through the clouds to create a brilliant scene of intense strength and energy.

Boxes of this quality and carved with this motif were produced at the Lacquer Workshops of the 'Zaobanchu' (Imperial Palace Workshop), located in the Forbidden City.

The nine-dragon motif refers to the nine sons of the dragon, longsheng jiuzi 龍生九子, who are the mythological sons of the Dragon King. This subject matter can be seen as early as the Song dynasty, as painted on the famous ink and colour handscroll titled 'Nine Dragons' attributed to the Southern Song dynasty court painter Chen Rong (1200-1266) in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (accession no.17.1697). Compare with a related example of a cinnabar lacquer 'nine dragon' box and cover, Qianlong and jiulong baohe ('Treasure box of nine dragons') marks and period, illustrated by Lin Mun-lee, Carving the Subtle Radiance of Colors: Treasured Lacquerware in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2008, p.135, no.135.

Additional information

Bid now on these items

A STRING OF FORTY-FIVE ASSORTED MIXED-METAL OJIME FASTENERS Japan, Meiji (1868-1912) or Taisho (1912-1926) era, late 19th/early 20th century,
A PAIR OF LARGE TANG-STYLE PAINTED WOOD HORSES China, early 20th century
A TURQUOISE BEIJING GLASS BOTTLE VASE China, 18th/19th century,
TWO MAKIE-E LACQUER TEA BOWL STANDS Japan, late Edo period (1615–1868) or Meiji era (1868–1912), 19th century,
A SOAPSTONE FIGURE OF LI BAI China,
A rare Chinese group of the Tyrolean Dancers, Qianlong period, circa 1752
A WHITE-GLAZED BOTTLE VASE Korea, Yi dynasty,
A WHITE-GLAZED BOTTLE VASE Korea, Yi dynasty,
FOUR CHINESE YIXING WARES Late Qing dynasty - 20th century
FIVE BURMESE AND THAI GILTWOOD FIGURES OF BUDDHA Late 19th/20th century
TWO JAPANESE CELADON GLAZED STUDIO CERAMICS
Huang Shanshou (1855-1919) Dragons in Clouds
Birodo Yuzen Meiji era (1868-1912)
TWO JAPANESE BRONZE SCHOLAR'S OBJECTS Meiji/Taisho era
A KOREAN UNDERGLAZE-BLUE AND COPPER-RED-DECORATED 'GRAPEVINE' GLOBULAR JAR Late Joseon dynasty
A JAPANESE SIX-PANEL 'FARM SCENE' FOLDING SCREEN Late 19th/early 20th century
A KOREAN FOUR-PANEL 'PEONIES AND CALLIGRAPHY' FOLDING SCREEN Late Joseon dynasty
AN INSIDE-PAINTED ROCK CRYSTAL 'LADIES' SNUFF BOTTLE, SIGNED YE ZHONGSAN 1919
A CHINESE YELLOW GLASS SNUFF BOTTLE 19th century
A FAMILLE-ROSE ENAMELED PORCELAIN COVERED BALUSTER JAR 18th/19th century
A PAINTED LACQUERED-WOOD FOUR-DOOR CABINET Early 20th century
A SIXTY THREE-PLATE SUJIBACHI KABUTO HELMET Japan, late Muromachi period (1333-1573),
A MOUNTED WAKIZASHI Japan, Edo period, 19th century,