Page 45 - Christie's Leisurely Life May 29, 2019 Hong Kong

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The design featuring dragons on the exteriors and prunus on ⏁㧩ᙹᅴ卿㘻㵲⊺Նᆭ⡠㱈ǯ⸌㬷⥾⡚⣔㫐䂆Ꮘⅸஎ卿ڬ㱈୪
the interior of the cover, is highly unusual and only very few ⡠Ӭॶ卿⸌⫫⥾ᢐ᧦Ӭᡏ卿ӳᓔ⡚ᆭᆜᝲǯ⏁㕇㧩೅प⥾㫐䂆
examples are known. The combination of ferocious five-clawed Ꮘⅸஎ卿⒜೅㱈⡚ᆭ㴛䂆எǯ㑷೅᧘ࣇⵘⱤᅴ߃⡠Ӭॶ卿ݤ㱈
dragons, the ultimate symbol of Imperial authority, with the
literary and poetic theme of prunus tree under a crescent Նᆭភ㫡⡠ǯᄓ㬪Ɽᝧ㫐ᙹᡨǸഌᚺⶃᝃჺㅳǹᥓᝧᨕ᪪ǯ
moon, creates an interesting contrast but also befits its use as ᫉Նᆭ⸌⏁㯪ឬℒ⁞卿⸌㬷㱈㎜ᇨ⎑᪇ाඳ⎏Ն‣⯯䂆卿⸌ᄓ
a stationery box for the imperial household.
ߺ⥾᳖㪿༛㉼ዪ⎏ᝲӴސᢐஎ卿⏟ᛇᎰ㑪卿ऱᛞࣽ⛾भהἃᇙ
A Wanli-marked box of almost identical design and shape ⊇ᙔᏑ႙ݰ⎏⊇㘶卿ᛓ⢙भ⎑།᭔᰾⯝ᙔ՞㪿㑪⎏⠢৅Ԡהǯ
was sold at Christie’s London, 16 June 1986, lot 75. Compare ऱ㯸׾ຽᥑἃ⧎㇦卿ٳᘹצ೥ᇑᙻ ჺ ᝲ ᚚᝪᐽ㐈Ӭ
also to a smaller Wanli wucai box of similar shape, also on
a stepped base, decorated on the exterior of the cover with ։㙁௛Ǯ⡠㱈ఫទ⏟ऱ⎏׾ຽ卿ᐽ৅ ⽚卿ዂᇖஎ㢙ԋὍᯧ┱
figures in landscape, and on the interior with a single prunus ㊘㊃⏁⸌ᄓᛓै⊺ᝳᢐⱤǯ
tree, from the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in Porcelains in
Polychrome and Contrasting Colours, The Complete Collection Քजࣻ⩠᳖༈⯠⻦Ӭ։ཨ༿㖅ཎ⎏ⶃᝃՆᆭ⏁卿㙁௛⯝ទ⏁⏟
of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 1999, no. ַ卿ऱ᧙⏁ᄓ߅㚒卿⸌㬷ᓼ՞⁒எ卿⸌ᄓߺ⥾⡚ᆭ㬪Ɽᢐ᧦Ӭ
39; and another Wanli wucai box decorated with dragons in ᡏ卿ⶬ㢙ᙻᘢ༈ࢷ⁒㩴⻦ᙔ⁒Ⅷ৅ݥ㫀ǶՆᆭg㶯ᆭǷ卿㲞ᳰ卿
bracket-lobed medallions on the cover, and on both sides ჺ卿எ ⽚ǯែ՗ᢐᮽ㉃ሗ㱦⻦Ӭ։ⶃᝃՆᆭ㧩ᙹ⏁卿
of the box with flowers and bamboo, from the Umezawa ⏁⸌㱈㧷ݏ䂆Ꮘⅸ⡠卿⏁ຽݤംߺ⥾Ɽ⒢⛛⡠卿ⶬ㢙ᙻ ჺ
Kinenkan Museum Collection, illustrated in Sekai toji zenshu,
vol. 14 – Ming, Tokyo, 1976, no. 207. ែ՗߅‸Ƕӽ⊤㪃┵ݥ㫀Ƿ卿 Ĝᚺ卿எ ⽚ǯ

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