A MOTHER-OF-PEARL INLAID OCTAGONAL BOX AND COVER 17TH CENTURY

of octagonal form with sloped curved sides raised on splayed foot, finely inlaid on the cover in slivers of mother-of-pearl with an official seated at a table on the terrace of a pavilion, greeting a kneeling envoy holding a scroll, beside an attendant opening another scroll and a phoenix-coiffed lady standing in the distance, with three further attendants holding fans, all framed by rocks and a tall overhanging willow tree, the sides of lacquered basketwork divided by vertical herringbone ridges on the edges with ruyi-heads at the junctures, the wide rims similarly decorated with lacquered basketwork panels enclosed in recessed lobed panels against an inlaid 'cash'-diaper ground, the foot inlaid with mother-of-pearl animals, the interior and base lacquered in dark brown

This box is generally in good condition. There is some surface dirt and wear commensurated with age. There is some typical tarnishing and minor losses to the mother-of-pearl inlays. The dark brown lacquer ground on the interior and on the base is crackled. There are a couple of small old restored chips to the interior rim with further typical retouching in areas along the rim to stabilize the lacquer. The actual colour of the box is lightly less reddish compared to the catalogue illustration.
"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."

The earliest use of woven bamboo basketry with lacquer is found on a fan and three boxes excavated at Mashan in Jiangling, Hubei province, datable to the mid- to late-Warring States period (3^rd century BC). This combination of materials appears to have been popular during the Ming and early Qing periods in southeast China, parallel to the growing prosperity of the region and the availability of fine bamboo for weaving.

A ten-sided box of this type, the cover inlaid with branches of stylised prunus and bamboo, from the collection of Sir John and Lady Figgess, was sold at Christie’s London, 14^th December 1983, lot 3; and a square box decorated with figures in a landscape within a circular medallion, from the Cleveland Museum of Art, was included in the exhibition, The Sumptuous Basket. Chinese Lacquer with Basketry Panels, China House Gallery, New York, 1985, cat. no. 29.