Page 413 - Bonhams Chinese Art London May 2013

383 fig.1 A cinnabar lacquer box and cover, Qianlong; image courtesy
A rare large ‘Immortals’ cinnabar lacquer box and cover of the Palace Museum, Beijing.
Qianlong
The cover crisply incised in the central medallion with a vividly detailed
scene of Immortals crossing the East Sea, including three variously
balanced on a toad, a lotus leaf and a bamboo spray floating over
the water towards two further Immortals gathered on a high terrace,
another terrace with two attendants, one pulling a wheeled raft laden
with peaches and the other carrying a lingzhi fungus beside a crane as
two more figures carry a basket of flowers uphill beside a peach tree, all
enclosed by a key-fret border and a further border of bats and peaches,
the sides of the cover and box both with scattered floral medallions on
a floral geometric ground.
49.5cm (19 3/8in) diam. (2).
£40,000 - 60,000
HK$470,000 - 710,000 CNY380,000 - 560,000

清乾隆 剔紅八仙過海圖圓蓋盒

The scene on the present lot depicts the story of the Eight Immortals The present box is a superb example from the Qianlong period in which
crossing the sea (八仙過海 ba xian guo hai) on their way to attend the the subject of the Eight Immortals was commonly used for auspicious
Conference of the Magical Peach (蟠桃會 pan tao hui). When they decoration. The box however, is unusual with the intricately carved
come to the ocean, Lü Dongbin suggested that they each should each floral medallions on the sides, of which only a few examples can be
exercise their unique powers to get across. From this tales is derived found with similar borders, enhancing the rarity of the piece. Compare
the Chinese proverb ‘The Eight Immortals cross the sea, each reveals two related Qianlong mark and period lacquer boxes and covers in the
its divine power’ (八仙過海，各顯神通, ba xian guo hai, ge xian shen Qing Court collection with similar borders, illustrated in The Complete
tong), indicating that everybody should use their unqiue skills and Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Lacquerware, Beijing,
expertise to achieve a common goal. 2006, nos.5-6 (see fig.1 above).

Fine Chinese Art | 409