A LARGE 'QIANGJIN' AND 'TIANQI' CINNABAR LACQUER BOX AND COVER QING DYNASTY, KANGXI PERIOD

of lobed form supported on a foot of conforming section, the raised top incised and gilded on the red lacquer ground and further accented in black enamel with a large rosace formed of feathery scrolls interlinked by sprays of lotus, each petal enclosing one of the bajixiang and a bat, all centred with a rosette medallion bordered by ruyi and contained within a border of key-fret, the sides incised with bats and lotus framed by angular archaistic phoenix, all above a band of interlaced feathery leaves and ruyi heads encircling the raised rims, the box similarly decorated on each lobe with panels formed of angular foliate scrolls enclosing a lotus blossom and a bat, the foot picked out with lingzhi scrolls interlocking with rings, the interior and base lacquered in black

Kaikan tokubetsu shuppin seihin senshu [A special inaugural exhibition], Kyushu National Museum, Fukuoka, 2005, cat. no. 102.

There are several secured cracks issuing from the cover rim with associated crackles to the black lacquer on the interior of the cover. There are also some secured crack issuing from the rim of the box and relacquering to the inner rim, as well as occasional touch up in areas to the lacquer. The gilding that was originally within the incisions is mostly rubbed on the cover but still well visible on the 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."

The sumptuousness of the present box is achieved through the qiangjin-and-tianqi (‘gold-engraved and filled in’) technique. The qiangjin method which involved the inlaying of thin gold leaves into a finely incised design on a lacquer base. It is unclear when this technique was first used but is known to have existed in the 3rd century AD as it was employed on the cover of a box excavated from the tomb of Zhu Ran, dating to AD 239. After the Hongwu and Yongle periods, nearly all qiangjin lacquer works – like the present lot – were combined with the tianqi technique, where the engraved outlines were filled in with washes of coloured lacquer.

Compare a similarly lavish circular box included in the exhibition 2000 Years of Chinese Lacquer, Art Gallery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1993, cat. no. 87; and another illustrated in Zhongguo qiqi quanji [Complete series on Chinese lacquer], vol. 6, Fuzhou, 1993, pl. 127. Also see lot 169 in the present sale for a similarly shaped box.