A CINNABAR LACQUER STEMCUP MING DYNASTY, JIAJING PERIOD

the bowl with deep rounded sides rising to an everted rim, raised on a splayed stem and flat base, deeply carved in varied relief against a floral diaper ground, the exterior with two sprigs of lychee naturalistically detailed with gnarled stalks and furled leaves, one suspended from the key-fret border encircling the mouthrim and bearing three fruits, the other growing from the row of mallow petals skirting the base and yielding four other fruits, their skin variously textured with different diaper patterns, the stem wrapped with a sprig of lingzhi above a border of halved floral diapers surrounding the foot, the interior and base lacquered in dark brown

There is an old 4 x 1.5 cm chip to the foot that has been restored with some brown re-lacquering on the base. There appears to be a restoration at the joint between the cup and the foot which may indicate that these were separated and re-affixed. The foot is decorated with lingzhi and the cup with lychee which could also indicate that although the two elements are contemporary, the stem would in fact be associated to the cup. There are small chips (including two chips of approx. 2.2 x 0.5 cm and 1.8 x 0.5 cm respectively) and stabilized fritting on the rim, with further old typical brown re-lacquering applied around the circumference of the rim. The condition otherwise is quite good and consistent with the age of the cup.
"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."

Lychee-decorated vessels of this type belong to a distinct group of carved lacquer in which the surfaces of fruit, particularly lychee, were decorated with diapers previously employed for the background of decorative scenes. Compare a pair of similarly decorated bowls, related in form to the cup of the present piece, included in the exhibition Im Zeichen des Drachen, Museum für Lackkunst, Munster, 2006, cat. no. 60; and another bowl sold in our London rooms, 8th December 1992, lot 26. For small boxes carved with branches of lychee of this type, see a circular example in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in 200 Objects You Should Know. Carved Lacquerware, Beijing, 2008, pl. 41; another sold in these rooms, 4th April 2012, lot 3011; and a cylindrical example included in the exhibition East Asian Lacquer. The Florence and Herbert Irving Collection, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1991, cat. no. 40.

The close dialogue between workshops that specialised in different materials is evident in the frequent appearance of decorative motifs and forms in a variety of media; for example see a small cylindrical jade box carved with lychees similar to Irving box, from the Zhirouzhai collection, included in the exhibition Chinese Jades from Han to Ch'ing, Asia House Gallery, New York, 1980, cat. no. 115.