Page 66 - Sothebys Important Chinese Art 09/13/17
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PROPERTY FROM THE ESTATE OF DAN GARSON, ATLANTA, The lacquer arts ourished in the Qianlong period, with carved
GEORGIA cinnabar boxes representing one of the principal categories.
Like the present example, many of these boxes feature
A CARVED CINNABAR LACQUER BOX AND felicitous scenes of scholars or children enjoying leisure
COVER activities. The virtuosity of the artisan’s skill can be seen in the
QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD compositional complexity, the variety of depths and angles at
which leaves and petals emerge, the naturalistic roundness of
the circular cover carved in high relief with a lakeside scene the gures and the sway of their clothes, and the neness and
of nine boys shing, paddling, and exchanging lotus, the variety of the diaper patterns covering the ground.
landscape with rich vegetation and gnarled rocks, all encircled
by bands of keyfret and lotus lappets, the sides of the box A box of this type, but slightly larger and depicting a ‘ ower
and cover each with four quatrelobed cartouches containing presentation’ scene, from the Qing court collection, now in
blossoming and fruiting plants, one of the ‘Eight Auspicious the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in Li Jiufang, The
Emblems’ between each cartouche, all reserved against diaper Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum:
grounds, keyfret bands at the rims and foot, the interiors and Lacquer Wares of the Qing Dynasty, vol. 46, Hong Kong, 2006,
base lacquered black, wood stand (3) pl. 37. A similar box, larger still and illustrating an Immortal
Diameter 8⅞ in., 22.2 cm accompanied by attendants in a mountainous landscape, sold
at Christie’s London, 10th November 2015, lot 172. A related
PROVENANCE Qianlong mark and period box of hexagonal lobed form sold in
our London rooms, 25th November 2015, lot 228.
John Sparks Ltd., London.
$ 30,000-50,000
John Sparks Ltd
64 SOTHEBY’S
