Page 107 - Bonhams Asian Art London November 5, 2020

Works of art produced in the zhuhuang or ‘bamboo-veneer’ technique
became especially popular during the reign of the Qianlong emperor.
It is a decorative method that involves the separation of the veneer
which is of light yellow colouration and is taken from the inner wall of
the bamboo stem. The veneer is then applied over a wood core, and
is carved in shallow relief. As the colour of the bamboo skin is lighter
than wood, the design is left in reserve against the darker background,
resulting in an elegant and attractive two-toned finish.

A related but larger bamboo-veneer covered box of this form, from
the Qing Court Collection, is illustrated in The Complete Collection
of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and
Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Shanghai, 2001, pl.72.

A similar bamboo-veneered ‘double-lozenge’ box and cover, Qing
dynasty, was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 3 June 2015, lot 2853.

PROPERTY FROM THE ESTATE OF MRS DILYS MARY EATON
DILYS MARY EATON 夫人遺產
100
A VERY FINE AND RARE COCONUT RETICULATED POMANDER
AND COVER
18th century
The domed cover and pomander each deftly carved and pierced
with a writhing central dragon amidst curling clouds, all within diaper
pattern borders and a central key-fret border, the coconut of dark-
chocolate tone. 6.2cm (2 1/2in) diam. (2).

£2,000 - 3,000 99
CNY18,000 - 26,000
十八世紀 椰殼鏤雕龍紋香熏

Provenance: J.C.Oswald (1857-1930) (label)
Dilys Mary Eaton and thence by descent

來源：J.C.Oswald（1857-1930）（標籤）
Dilys Mary Eaton夫人舊藏，並由後人保存迄今

John Charles Oswald (1857-1930) was a tea merchant. He arrived
in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, in the late 1880s, having worked for a
tea importer in London for thirteen years. Initially working for Odell
& Co. as a clerk, he moved within a few years to Bathgate & Co.
where he became manager and partner. Oswald combined his work
for Bathgate & Co. with work for other firms, such as Fairhurst & Co.
in the 1900s, and he was also Consul for the Netherlands from the
1890s and later Vice-Consul for Norway. Oswald was a keen amateur
photographer and eight of his photograph albums are held at the
School of Oriental & African Studies Archives.

As has been pointed out by G.Tsang and H.Moss, Arts from
the Scholar’s Studio, Hong Kong, 1986, no.256, the early Ming
connoisseur Cao Zhao, lists coconut shell in the ‘Rare Woods’
section in his study of antiquity, Gegu Yaolun. Cao cites two southern
provinces, Guangdong (which would have included also Hainan) and
Guangxi, as well as Annam (modern day Vietnam) as the source of
this material and mentions it being ‘either painted or set in silver to
make wine cups, wine pots, individual plates, wine ewers, and water
ladles.’ In a later, enlarged edition volume of 1462, he adds, ‘the small
ones are the most expensive and hard to come by’. See, P.David,
Chinese Connoisseurship, the Ko Ku Yao Lun: The Essential Criteria of 100
Antiquities, London, 1971, p.156. See also Tsang and Moss, Arts from
the Scholar’s Studio, Hong Kong, 1986, no.256, for a small carved
coconut shell wine cup with a silver liner.

See also a round box and cover of coconut shell, mid Qing dynasty,
in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection
of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and
Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Hong Kong, 2002, p.96, no.88.

For details of the charges payable in addition to the final Hammer Price of each Lot
please refer to paragraphs 7 & 8 of the Notice to Bidders at the back of the catalogue. FINE CHINESE ART | 105