Page 258 - Fine Chinese Art Bonhams London May 2018

277
A CARVED CINNABAR LACQUER OVIFORM ‘LYCHEE’ The word ‘lychee’ (lizhi 荔枝) is homophonous with ‘establishing a son’
BOX AND COVER (lizi 立子), and symbolises progeny.
16th century
Well carved around the exterior with a band of fruiting lychee branches The domed shape of the box is unusual as typical lacquer lychee
reserved on a flowerhead-diaper ground, all between narrow lappet boxes and covers have straight sides. Compare with a domed box
and key-fret bands at the foot and rim, the domed cover similarly and cover and three straight-sided boxes with similar lychee motif in
decorated, the interior and base lacquered black, Japanese wood box the Linden Museum, Stuttgart, illustrated by M.Kopplin, Im Zeichen
12cm (4 3/4 in) high. (3). des Drachen, Stuttgart, 2006, nos.55 and 61. A pair of carved
cinnabar lacquer bowls with similar motif of lychees on a diaper ground
£15,000 - 20,000 between lappet and key-fret bands, mid Ming dynasty, is illustrated
CNY130,000 - 180,000 in Im Zeichen Des Drachen: Von Der Schonheit Chinesischer Lacke,
Munster, 2006, p.141, no.60.

十六世紀 剔紅荔枝紋圓蓋盒 Compare with a small cinnabar lacquer box and cover with similar
motif of lychees, 16th/17th century, which was sold at Christie’s
New York, 16-17 September 2010, lot 1417.

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