Page 98 - Bonhams, Fine Chinese Art, London November 3, 2022

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A VERY RARE GILT-DECORATED BLACK-LACQUERED
PANEL AND CARVED CINNABAR LACQUER FRAME FOR THE
IMPERIAL COURT
Late 18th century
The black lacquer panel exquisitely decorated in gilt with a
mountainous landscape dotted with pavilions, some of the roofs
decorated in the kirikane technique, all amidst various trees, and
a waterfall on the right from which a boisterous river with swirling
currents curves across, some gnarled rocks slightly raised in the
takamaki-e technique, all framed by a carved cinnabar lacquer frame
with lotus scrolls, an ornate metal hook ontop.
96cm (37 3/4in) wide x 88cm (34 1/2in) high.

£80,000 - 120,000
CNY640,000 - 960,000

十八世紀晚期 御用剔紅邊框鑲黑漆描金風景紋屏

Provenance: Vanderven Oriental Art, ‘s-Hertogenbosch,
The Netherlands; acquired at TEFAF, Maastricht

來源： 於馬斯特里赫特歐洲藝術和古董博覽會，購自荷蘭斯海爾托亨
博思古董商Vanderven Oriental Art

The present panel is exceptionally rare and demonstrates the
fascination of the Qing Court with foreign representations as well as
its admiration of the technical virtuosity of lacquering techniques and
decoration imported from or influenced by Japan.

The lavish use of gold on black lacquer became particularly popular
during the reign of the Yongzheng emperor, who especially appreciated
and collected Japanese gold and silvered lacquer (maki-e). During
the Yongzheng reign, Japanese lacquer was presented to the
Imperial Court by Sui Hede, Gao Qizhuo and Zhun Tai, the Jiangnan
silk manufacturing agent, the Suzhou Imperial inspector and the
Superintendent of the Fujian customs house respectively. See
Yuancang riben qiqi tezhan, Taipei, 2002, p.19.

Yongzheng’s appreciation for Japanese lacquer can be seen for
example, in the ‘Twelve Beauties at Leisure’ painted for Prince Yinzhen
(the Future Yongzheng emperor), in which one painting shows a
woman with a Japanese style black lacquered box with gilt decorated
bamboo, illustrated by E.Rawski and J.Rawson, China: The Three
Emperors 1662-1795, London, 2005, p.259. Japanese boxes were
particularly highly regarded at Court where they were used to store
precious objects and antiques; see for example a Japanese lacquer
box in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection
of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Small Refined Articles of the
Study, Shenzhen, 2009, pp.8-9, no.4.

Chinese artisans also imitated Japanese lacquer pieces. See for
example, a handled case with gold-painted landscape in the same
raised technique, in imitation of a Japanese case, mid Qing dynasty,
in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of
Treasures of the Palace Museum: Lacquer Wares of the Qing Dynasty,
Hong Kong, 2006, p.192, no.144.

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
96 | BONHAMS please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.