A CINNABAR LACQUER FIVE-LOBED BOX AND COVER MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG

the cover finely carved with the Eight Daoist Immortals and their servants travelling across the sea and on land to attend the birthday celebration of Xiwangmu, the sides of the box and cover with five large cartouches containing different flowers including peony, lotus, rose, begonia, lotus and chrysanthemum, alternating in the furrows of the lobes with further attributes of the Eight Immortals, the interior lacquered black

This finely carved box and cover are in good overall condition with the exception of a small area of repair to the end of one of the boys staff and to one boys arm in the central panel of the cover, and re-freshing to the red lacquer at the rims of the cover and box.
"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."

Two closely related carved lacquer boxes of this elegant floral-lobed form can be found, from the Qing Court collection and still in Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Lacquer Wares of the Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong, 2006, pls. 7 and 8, the former carved with a scene depicting Wang Xizhi attending his beloved geese, and the latter with a scholar observing his attendants washing wutong trees. Further boxes of this type have been sold at auction; for example see a box sold in our New York rooms, 30^th March 2006, lot 83; and another sold at Christie's London, 12^th July 2005, lot 147.

Boxes of this shape can also be found carved with figures on the cover but the sides decorated with a continuous band of billowing waves. See a box, from the collection of Dr. Ip Yee, sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 19^th November 1984, lot 120; and another, the cover carved with Immortals in a landscape setting and with a wave border on the side and underside, sold in our New York rooms, 18^th October 1990, lot 229. 

Beautiful carved lacquer boxes, such as the present piece, were made as food containers for presentation or gift. They were highly prized not only for their contents but also for the packaging itself.