Qianlong
Of circular form with flattened sides, the cover exquisitely carved in varying levels of relief through the red, yellow and green layers with a stylised evocative scene of Shoulao, a crane, a deer and a pine tree enclosed within a circular medallion inside a skilfully carved 'Chun' character, the 'strokes' of the character intricately incised with floral lozenges, the character flanked by a pair of soaring ruyi sceptres and above cloud scroll, all above ribbons of red, green and yellow issuing forth from a bowl teeming with auspicious emblems including wan symbols and a ruyi, set against an exquisitely rendered 'leiwen' ground, the whole scene set within a circular border surrounded by a narrow band of floral motifs within 'zig-zag' motifs, the sides of the cover and box carved with various luxuriant flowers against a leiwen ground, the base lacquered black.
13cm (5in) diam.