Page 260 - Important Chinese Art Hong Kong April 2, 2019 Sotheby's

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A RARE AND EXQUISITE LAC-BURGAUTÉ BOX 清雍正 黑漆嵌螺鈿雙喬圖套盒
AND COVER
QING DYNASTY, YONGZHENG PERIOD
of square section, intricately and richly decorated in mother-
of-pearl inlay, gold and silver foil, the cover depicting an
idyllic scene of two ladies seated beneath a willow tree, one
playing the flute while the other clapping to the rhythm with
two boys beside, set in a landscape with cragged rockwork
and leafy shrubs, all encircled by a cellular border, the sides
of the box and cover decorated with ball flowers scattered
against a speckled ground, the box opening to reveal four
smaller boxes, each variously adorned with birds and insects
flying amidst floral and fruiting branches of lily, hibiscus,
melon and finger citrons, the sides similarly decorated with
ball flowers reserved against a black ground, the interiors
and bases covered in a speckled ground of variegated gold
and copper tone
9 cm, 3½ in.
◉ HK$ 500,000-700,000
US$ 64,000-89,500

This elegant box is remarkable for its exquisitely executed
motif of a lady playing the flute in the laborious technique
of mother-of-pearl inlay. The intense iridescence of the
abalone shell (haliotis) and the bright gold and silver foils
have been masterfully combined to create a highly vibrant
and dynamic composition. The box was clearly influenced
by Japanese lacquerware in both technique and subject
matter; the nashiji ground, where gold flakes are sprinkled
onto the black surface, was commonly used in Japan, and
the pattern of roundels also appears to have its origins in
Japanese designs. The Yongzheng Emperor had a penchant
for Japanese lacquer that incorporated gold and silver, and
is recorded to have commissioned reproductions of these
wares.
Two tiered and lobed boxes of this type, decorated with
boys playing in a garden, in the Palace Museum, Beijing,
are illustrated in Zhongguo qiqi quanji [Complete series
on Chinese lacquer], vol. 6, Fuzhou, 1993, pls 171 and 172,
together with a circular box, also in the Palace Museum,
Beijing, pl. 166.

258 SOTHEBY ’S IMPORTANT CHINESE ART