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Lot 78Ф,Y

A FINE INLAID HUANGHUALI RUYI FORM 'ZHONGLI QUAN' BOX AND COVER
18th century

14 May 2025, 10:00 BST
London, New Bond Street

£4,000 - £6,000

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A FINE INLAID HUANGHUALI RUYI FORM 'ZHONGLI QUAN' BOX AND COVER

18th century
The cover adorned to the centre with a cartouche depicting Zhongli Quan reclining on a double gourd and holding a fan with tassels, beneath the leafy branches of a pine tree, inlaid with mother-of-pearl, stained soapstone, ivory and horn, bordered by finely incised alternating ruyi-head and hui-character patterns.
10.8cm (4 1/in) wide (2).

Footnotes

The item within this lot containing ivory has been registered in accordance with the Ivory Act (Section 10). Ref.B3CCLK7T

該批次中含有象牙的物品已根據《象牙法案》(章節10)註冊Ref.B3CCLK7T

十八世紀 黃花梨嵌寶鐘離權圖如意式蓋盒

Zhongli Quan (鍾離權) is one of the Eight Immortals (八仙) of Daoist tradition and is often depicted as a jovial figure with a bare belly, symbolising abundance and carefree living. He is said to carry a magical fan capable of reviving the dead or transforming objects into precious metals, making him a symbol of alchemy and prosperity. As a former general who embraced Daoism, his legendary stories often highlight themes of enlightenment, Immortality, and detachment from worldly concerns. Zhongli Quan is revered as a patron of alchemists and those seeking spiritual transformation.

Shaped boxes were highly favoured during the eighteenth century, valued both for their decorative appeal and the auspicious meanings associated with their forms. See two quadrilobed boxes and covers, mid-Qing dynasty, in the Qing Court Collection, Beijing, carved and inlaid with Immortals, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Hong Kong, 2002, pp.288-289.Compare also with a peach-shaped box and cover, carved and inlaid with peach branches and a flying butterfly, illustrated in The Palace Museum Collection of Elite Carvings, Beijing, 2004, pl.104.

Additional information

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