Page 44 - Sotheby's Paris Arts D' Asia, June 11, 2019

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COLLECTION PARTICULIÈRE BELGE This unusual pair of boxes are made in the shape of a peach
enveloped with leafy branches bearing smaller peaches.
RARE PAIRE DE BOÎTES DE CURIOSITÉ
COUVERTES EN ZITAN SCULPTÉ CONTENANT ‘Peaches of immortality’ are among the most important
auspicious symbols in Chinese art, imbued with connotations
UNE COLLECTION DE DIX JADES of longevity. Peaches were among the favoured motif
E
DYNASTIE QING, XIX SIÈCLE for birthday wishes, for commoners and members of the
imperial family alike, especially during the Qianlong period
chacune en forme de pêche de longévité émergeant de of the Qing dynasty. The auspicious nature of this motif
branchages noueux feuillagés et incrustations d’argent, was often reinforced by pairing them with bats, expressing
les couvercles finement sculptés au centre de phénix sur the wish for endless long life and blessings, compare a
des rameaux feuillagés en bois clair, chacune renfermant much larger painted and gilt-decorated peach-shaped box
en leurs intérieurs tapissés de soie claire une collection de and cover in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing,
cinq jades sur des socles en soie rose sur-mesure, l’une illustrated in Evelyn S. Rawski and Jessica Rawson (eds.),
comprenant un pendentif en jade céladon et rouille, huang, China. The Three Emperors 1662-1795, London, 2005, cat.
un personnage en jade brun et céladon, un cheval couché no. 296.
dérangé par un singe en jade céladon et brun et un disque
bi archaïsant en jade; l’autre boîte comprenant une perle Lavishly carved and embellished boxes such these were
archaïsante en jade bicolore, deux haches cérémonielles, un made to hold small and precious objects that evoked the
embout de manche de dague en jade céladon et rouille, et, curiosity of their owner. Made of precious materials such
un dique bi archaïsant en jade bicolore, accidents (28) as boxwood, zitan, cloisonne and lacquer, these exquisite
20,5 cm; 20,2 cm, 8⅛ in.; 8 in. containers were also durable and protected the contents which
were often arranged in fitted compartments lined with silk.
PROVENANCE
Although no comparable boxes to this pair exist, similar
Gifted to the great-uncle of the present owner, a boxes filled with small treasures from the imperial collection
distinguished scholar, professor, Director of the Agronomic are illustrated in The Imperial Packing Art of the Qing
Institute at Gembloux and honorary Director of the Dynasty, Beijing, 2000, cat. nos. 43 and 61.
University of Gembloux, Belgium, in the early 1950s by a
young Chinese student who left his country. The professor
and his wife had taken care of the young student who in
return thanked them with this gift.
A rare pair of zitan curiosity boxes and covers containing a
selection of jade carvings, Qing Dynasty, 19th century
40 000-60 000 €
350 000-525 000HK$ 44 600-67 000 US$
清十九世紀 紫檀木雕桃式多寶蓋盒一對
內含玉器共十件

來源
原藏家為傑出學者、 敎授、 比利時讓布盧農業生物技
術學院院長，及讓布盧大學名譽校長，現藏家之舅公。
二十世紀五十年代初， 一位離開祖國的中國學生，
以此作禮物以答謝其夫婦對他的照顧。

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42 SOTHEBY’S ARTS D’ASIE