Page 116 - 2021 March 18 to 19th, Important Chinese Works of Art, Christie's New York City

849

PROPERTY FROM THE ESTATE OF JAMES H. KELLEY PROPERTY FROM THE STUDIO OF THE CLEAR GARDEN
849 ~850
A CARVED RED LACQUER HEXAGONAL BOX AND COVER A RARE PAIR OF CARVED FOUR-COLOR LACQUER
MING DYNASTY, LATE 15TH-16TH CENTURY OCTALOBED BOXES AND COVERS
The top of the cover is carved with two scholars seated on a promontory QIANLONG-JIAQING PERIOD (1736-1820)
conversing beneath a pine tree as an attendant approaches, and each Each cover is finely carved through the red, black, greenish-brown, and
of the six sides is carved with a different flower spray repeated on the ochre layers with a different scene of figures at various pursuits in a garden
sides of the box above the foot. setting, all within a narrow diaper border above the lobed sides that are
8¼ in. (21 cm.) across, fitted cloth box carved with panels of foliate sprays within angular scroll borders that are
repeated on the sides of the box. The interiors and base are covered in
black lacquer.
$6,000-8,000
13¡ in. (34 cm.) wide, hongmu stands (2)
PROVENANCE:
Acquired circa 1960s-1974, and thence by descent within the family.
$50,000-70,000

PROVENANCE:
明十五世紀末/十六世紀 剔紅松下高士圖六方蓋盒 Private collection, France.
Christie's Paris, 21 December 2009, lot 342.
來源: The Studio of the Clear Garden.
於1960年代至1974年間入藏, 後家族傳承。
清乾隆/嘉慶 剔彩亭臺人物圖八瓣式蓋盒一對
來源:
私人珍藏, 法國。
巴黎佳士得, 2009年12月21日, 拍品342號。
澄園山房珍藏。

It is rare to find lacquer wares with more than three colors. On the
present pair of boxes, the figures, trees, rocks and buildings are carved
from the uppermost layers of red and black lacquer, the water and
some vegetation from the greenish-brown layer, and the air and earth
are represented by two different diaper patterns carved from the two
different colors of ochre lacquer. The classic use of different diaper
patterns to represent water and air began in the Yuan dynasty, and here
has been used to enliven and differentiate the textures of the air, water
and ground.
849 (detail)