Page 276 - Imperial Sale Chinese Works of Art June 1 2016 HK

3391

A FINELY CARVED BAMBOO PARFUMIER

QING DYNASTY (1644-1911)

The parfumier is deeply carved in layered reticulation
with a continuous scene of Zhong Kui, the demon
queller, and his attendants carrying auspicious objects
including halberds and jue, accompanying his sister as
she prepares for her wedding beside a table arranged
with antiques, all set against a large rocky outcrop, a
gnarled pine tree and a prunus trunk.
7 æ in. (19.7 cm.) high (with stand), Japanese wood box

HK$120,000-180,000 US$16,000-23,000

清 竹雕鍾馗嫁妹圖香筒

3392

A FINELY CARVED BAMBOO PARFUMIER

LATE MING DYNASTY, 16TH/17TH CENTURY

The incense tool is superbly carved in low relief and
reticulated with five mythical creatures including, in
descending order, a phoenix, a chilong, a lion, a dragon
and another chilong set against a scrolling ruyi ground,
each of the creatures with finely detailed hair and
features, their twisting bodies culminating in bifurcated
tails, all within borders of angular scroll. The top and
base are made of hongmu.
8 ¡ in. (21.3 cm.) high, box

HK$80,000-100,000 US$11,000-13,000

The carving on the present piece is exceptionally fluid and
detailed. A number of related parfumiers dating to the
late Ming dynasty are known but it is rare to find such a
panoply of mythical creatures depicted on a single carving.
A slightly smaller (19.5 cm. high) bamboo parfumier dated
to Late Ming dynasty, 16th-17th century, carved with very
similar motif but with the addition of a makara and only
one chilong, was in the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Gerard
Hawthorn and sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 3 December
2008, lot 2330. Another example dated to late Ming carved
with similar technique but only with two chilong is in the
Wang Shixiang Collection and illustrated by Wang Shixiang
and Wan-go Weng, Bamboo Carving of China, New York,
1983, p. 26, figs. 12 and 12a.

晚明 竹雕瑞獸紋香筒

刻有多種瑞獸紋飾之香筒十分罕見。Gerard
Hawthorn 伉儷舊藏一件同時期，尺寸稍小，紋飾近
似，僅刻有一螭龍但加刻一摩伽羅之香筒，售於香
港佳士得，2008年12月3日，拍品2330號。王世襄舊
藏一例刻工近似但僅刻有兩螭龍之晚明香筒，著錄
於《中國竹刻》(Bamboo Carving of China)，
紐約，1983年，頁26，圖版12及12a號。

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