An embellished 'huanghuali' box and cover, 17th / 18th century | 十七 / 十八世紀 黃花梨嵌寶狩獵圖蓋盒

Scholar’s objects made of precious huanghuali and embellished with mother-of-pearl and hardstone motifs became fashionable in the late Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and continued their popularity in the following Qing period (1644-1911). The hunting scene of a hat wearing figure represented on the box can be referenced to a series of painting commissioned by the imperial court during the early Ming dynasty, see, for example, three paintings depicting the Xuande Emperor (r. 1425 - 1435) hunting, all commissioned by the court, discussed and illustrated in Craig Clunas and Jessica Harrison-Hall eds, Ming 50 Years that Changed China, British Museum, London, 2014, pls 120, 124 and 125.

Compare a closely related box sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 4th April 2012, lot 116; and another, attributed to the Jiajing period, from the collection of Mr and Mrs Gerard Hawthorn, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 31st May 2018, lot 31. See also larger boxes illustrating more complex hunting scenes, such as one in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Gugong diaoke zhencui / The Palace Museum Collection of Elite Carving, Beijing, 2004, pl. 100; and another depicting the legend of the master archer Yang Youji, sold twice in these rooms, 10th April 2006, lot 1632, and again, 2nd June 2016, lot 88.