Page 53 - Bonhams Chinese Works of Art June 2015 Hong Kong

Compare a related octagonal lobed lacquer box and cover from 清宮舊藏一件明晚期剔紅八仙圖葵瓣式盒可資比較，見《故宮博物院
the Qing Court Collection, with similar angular archaistic dragon 藏文物珍品全集：元明漆器》，香港，2006年，頁252至253，編號
scrolls at the rim, foot with lotus lappets, and also decorated with 200。
Daoist Immortals, illustrated in Lacquer Wares of the Yuan and Ming
Dynasties. The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace 此漆盒或原為一對，盒上雕八仙人物包括張果老、鍾離權、李鐵拐和
Museum, Hong Kong, 2006, pp.252-253, no.200. 曹國舅為西王母祝壽，相信八仙中的其餘四位神仙（藍采和、何仙
姑、韓湘子及呂洞賓）雕刻在另一件漆盒上。此類漆盒有祝壽之意，
The present lot would have been one of a pair, and the accompanying 也有多子多福，子孫綿延的吉祥象徵。
box and cover would have been carved with the same decorative
bands to the rims and foot, but would feature Shoulao with a deer
and the other four Daoist Immortals (Lan Caihe, He Xiangu, Han
Xiangzi and Lu Dongbin) on the top. Such boxes were meant to be
auspicious vessels for offerings, wishing the illustrious recipient long life
and plentiful offspring, which in the imperial context would have been
understood to wish the emperor long life and continuity of the dynasty.