Page 201 - 2019 September 13th Christie's New York Important Chinese Works of Art

PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT PRIVATE COLLECTION
919
A SMALL CARVED RED LACQUER CIRCULAR
BOX AND COVER
MING DYNASTY, 15TH-16TH CENTURY
The fat top is decorated with a scene of three boys playing in
a garden, one lighting a frecracker, one covering his ears with
both hands, and the other covering his face with his sleeve, all
reserved on a diaper-pattern ground. The straight sides are
decorated with bands of key fret.
2√ in. (7.2 cm.) diam., Japanese lacquer and wood boxes, two
cloth pouches

$40,000-60,000

PROVENANCE
Baron Fujita Denzaburo (1841-1912) Collection.
Anthony Carter Ltd., London.
The depiction of children in Chinese art has its roots in
Buddhist beliefs infuenced by Daoism. By the Tang dynasty,
images of healthy children were no longer confned to religious
art, but began to appear on many types of secular art as an
auspicious symbol. This cheerful theme was popularized by the
Southern Song dynasty court artist, Su Hanchen (active early
12th century), and continued into the Ming period, when artists
adapted it to convey auspicious wishes. On the present cover,
for example, the three boys are shown lighting a fre cracker,
which is often associated with the wish for prosperity.
(another view with accessories)
明十五/十六世紀 剔紅嬰戲圖小圓蓋盒

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