Page 48 - The Parry Collection Bonhams London November 2 2021

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A RARE CINNABAR LACQUER CARVED ‘DRAGON’ TRAY Notable for its extremely fine and deep carving, made possible through
16th/17th century the varying thickness of the lacquer ground, this exceptional tray
The well of the rectangular tray carved through layers of cinnabar relates to the extremely fine lacquer wares manufactured in the Imperial
lacquer with a writhing five-clawed dragon pursuing the flaming Workshops during the reign of the Wanli Emperor of the Ming dynasty.
pearl amidst wispy ruyi-shaped clouds, the interior and exterior sides See a carved yellow and red lacquer ‘dragon’ tray, Xuande Yiwei
similarly carved with ruyi clouds, all on a diaper-pattern ground. mark, 16th/17th century, illustrated in Carving the Subtle Radiance of
25.4cm (10in) long. Colors: treasured Lacquerware in the National Palace Museum, Taipei,
2008, p.111, no.99. See also a related qiangjin and tianqi lacquer tray,
£20,000 - 30,000 decorated with a similar design of dragons, Wanli Renchen year and of
CNY180,000 - 270,000 the period, in the Nezu Art Museum, Tokyo, illustrated by Ch’iang-chin,
Chinkin and Zonsei, Lacquerware, Tokyo, 1974, p.73, no.53.

十六世紀/十七世紀 剔紅雲龍紋長方形盤 Capable of flying high in the sky and diving back in the sea, dragons
were seen as intermediaries between Heaven and Earth and symbolic
Provenance: of the Emperor and Imperial power. Typically, the representation of
Captain W.F. Collins (1865-1948), Beijing, who sent the lacquer tray five-clawed dragons was reserved for Imperial wares. Ruyi-clouds
to Bluett’s on 27 May 1926 were also auspicious, as they resembled the lingzhi fungus, prized for
Bluett & Sons Ltd., London its attributions of longevity, and combined with the dragon represent
E. A. Parry (1879-1946), London, acquired from the above on auspicious wishes of longevity to the Emperor.
7 June 1927, and thence by descent
Compare the present tray with a related carved yellow and red lacquer
Captain William Fellows Collins, was agent in Peking for the Anglo- ‘dragon’ tray, Wanli mark, cyclically dated Renchen year corresponding
French China Corporation Ltd and for S. Pearson & Son, and to 1592 and of the period, which was sold at Bonhams Hong Kong,
supplied Bluett’s. John Sparks, Franck & Co and other dealers with 27 November 2018, lot 52.
consignment of Chinese ceramics and works of art from Beijing.
He later reached the rank of Colonel and was awarded the DSO. 盤方形，斜沿，圈足，足內髹黑漆，盤心雕有一尾五爪龍，四周環繞
For more information about Collins, see R.Davids and D.Jellinek, 如意雲紋，盤身內外壁均剔刻錦地如意雲紋以為飾。漆層厚重，刀法
Provenance, Oxon, 2011, p.124. 深邃。本例漆地在不同處厚薄有異，因此其雕工亦深淺不一，精細之
餘更是極富層次感，大有明萬曆朝御製漆器之風範。參看台北國立故
來源： 宮博物院藏一件明十六/十七世紀宣德款剔彩雙龍紋長方盤，收錄於
高林士（1865-1948）於1926年5月27日由北京送至倫敦古董商 《和光剔彩——故宮藏漆》，台北，2008年，編號99。另見日本根津
Bluett’s 美術館藏一件明萬曆戧金填彩雙龍紋盤，底刻萬曆壬辰紀年款，其紋
倫敦古董商Bluett & Sons Ltd. 沈金 存星一図版資料》，東京，1974年，
倫敦E. A. Parry（1879-1946）舊藏，於1927年6月7日購於上者， 飾與本品一致，見《鎗金 • •
頁73，編號53，其紋飾亦資參考。
後由家族繼承
傳說中，龍既可翱翔天際亦可潛行深海，因此被視為擁有溝通天地的
高林士（William F. Collins上尉），時任聯華銀公司（Anglo-French 能力，同時亦是皇權之象徵；其中五爪龍紋更被認為是皇家專用。如
China Corporation Ltd）及英國培生集團（S. Pearson & Son）駐 意雲紋亦是中國紋樣中常見的祥瑞裝飾，其形似靈芝，而後者也被認
北京代理，並為英國Bluett’s、John Sparks、Franck & Co 等古董 為是延年益壽之物。該盤結合龍紋與靈芝紋為飾，可能是用於皇家壽
商由北京提供中國古董及藝術品。其後擢升至上校，並被授予傑出 儀之物。
服務勳章。有關高林士的具體信息，參見R.Davids與D.Jellinek著，
《Provenance》，牛津，2011年，頁124。 比較一例明萬曆1592年制剔黃雙龍雲紋長方盤，底刻「大明萬曆壬辰
年製」款，售於香港邦瀚斯2018年11月27日，拍品編號52。

Captain William Fellows Collins Lot 13 (invoice)

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
46 | BONHAMS please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue.