Page 120 - Fine Chinese Art Christies London May 2018

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A CARVED CINNABAR LACQUER ‘FIGURAL’ LOBED BOX AND The second two characters bao he ‘treasure box’ link this box to the
COVER Qianlong Emperor’s enduring fascination with treasure boxes, which he had
QIANLONG INCISED AND GILT SIX-CHARACTER MARK AND OF THE constructed in, or adapted from, a variety of materials, and in which he kept
PERIOD (1736-1795)
all manner of small treasures. Records of the Zaobanchu Imperial Palace
The hexafoil box is delicately and crisply carved to the cover with a conforming lacquer workshops for the period AD 1771-1775 note imperial commissions
panel enclosing a scholar playing the qin with two attendants amongst trees in for a number of carved lacquer ‘treasure boxes’, bearing four-character
a mountainous landscape. The curved sides of the box are each decorated with
inscriptions in addition to six-character reign marks (see Lin Mun-lee,
a shaped panel enclosing various fowers to the cover and auspicious animals
Carving the Subtle Radiance of Colors: Treasured Lacquerware in the National
to the base, all reserved on a patterned ground. The black-lacquered interior is
Palace Museum, Taipei, 2008, p. 117). Two carved lacquer lobed boxes with
inscribed ‘Fu qin bao he’, which may be translated as ‘Playing qin treasure box’.
four-character marks in addition to the reign marks, from the Qing Court
11 in. (28 cm.) diam.
collection, are preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing and illustrated in
£50,000-80,000 $71,000-110,000 Lacquer Wares of the Qing Dynasty, The Complete Collection of Treasures of
€58,000-92,000
the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 2006, nos. 7-8. Another six-lobed carved
lacquer ‘treasure box’ with four-character mark in addition to the reign mark -
in this case reading jixian baohe - is illustrated by Lin Mun-lee, op. cit., pl. 108,
This beautifully carved lacquer box is rare not only for its attractive six-lobed
while boxes of other forms with baohe inscriptions from the collection of the
form, but also for the fact that it bears a four-character mark on the interior
National Palace Museum, Taipei, are illustrated in the same volume pls. 109-
as well as a six-character reign mark on the base. Both marks are neatly
123. A double-lobed Qianlong lacquer ‘treasure box’ bearing the inscription
carved into the black lacquer surface and then coloured with gold. The mark
yi ju baohe ‘artistic chrysanthemum treasure box’ was sold by Christie’s New
on the interior reads: 撫琴寶盒 fu qin baohe ‘playing the qin treasure box’.
York on 19 September 2007, lot 118, while a multilobed Qianlong lacquer
The frst two characters of the inscription – fu qin ‘playing the qin’ – provide
‘treasure box’ bearing the inscription fu gui baohe ‘ riches and honours
a reference to the scene carved within the central panel on the top of the
treasure box’ was sold by Christie’s Hong Kong on 30 November 2011, lot
box lid. This shows a scholar seated on a rocky promontory looking out over
3074.
the water and playing a guqin which rests on his knees. Two attendants
are depicted approaching him carrying wrapped items, which are probably
writing accoutrements. Confucius regarded learning to play the quqin as an 清乾隆 剔紅撫琴寶盒
integral part of the education of anyone wishing to become a scholar. He
felt it was necessary not only in order to play beautiful music but to attune 描金「撫琴寶盒」 「大清乾隆年製」 楷書款
oneself to the high ideals of the mind.

(marks)

118 Other fees apply in addition to the hammer price – see Section D of our Conditions of Sale at the back of this Catalogue