A BLUE AND WHITE 'BOYS' BOX AND COVER MARK AND PERIOD OF WANLI

the flat cover of rectangular section with lobed corners, painted in vivid cobalt blue with four boys playing musical instruments in a garden setting, bordered around the sides with panels of dragons on a floral ground, the corners each set with a flower, the box similarly decorated with a dragon on each side, the base inscribed with a six-character mark enclosed within a double-square

Apart from some minor fritting along the edges of the corners of the box, the overall condition is very good.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Boxes of this rectangular form were possibly made as containers for a gift of food delicacies such as sweetmeats. See a closely related example similarly painted with a scene of boys at play, from the Lauritzen collection illustrated in  L. von Reidemeister, MIng-Porzellane in Schwedischen sammlungen, Berlin, 1935, pl. 40B, and its companion box sold in our London rooms, 27th November 1973, lot 231. Another box of this form and decoration, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, is published in Blue-and-white Ware of the Ming Dynasty, Book VI, Hong Kong, 1963, pl. 8.

Wanli boxes of this form can also be found painted with dragons; for example, see a box from the Falk collection sold at Christie's New York, 20th September 2001, lot 144, and again in these rooms, 10th April 2006, lot 1675.