- 3027
A FINELY INLAID ' HUNDRED DEER' ZITAN BOX AND COVER QING DYNASTY, KANGXI PERIOD
Estimate
8,000,000 - 12,000,000 HKD
bidding is closed
Description
THIS IS A PREMIUM LOT. CLIENTS WHO WISH TO BID ON PREMIUM LOTS MAY BE REQUESTED BY SOTHEBY'S TO COMPLETE THE PRE-REGISTRATION APPLICATION FORM AND TO DELIVER TO SOTHEBY'S A DEPOSIT OF HK$2,500,000, OR SUCH OTHER HIGHER AMOUNT AS MAY BE DETERMINED BY SOTHEBY'S, AND ANY FINANCIAL REFERENCES, GUARANTEES AND/OR SUCH OTHER SECURITY AS SOTHEBY'S MAY REQUIRE IN ITS ABSOLUTE DISCRETION AS SECURITY FOR THE BID. THE BIDnow ONLINE BIDDING SERVICE IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR PREMIUM LOTS.
of rectangular form raised on four corner feet, the cover masterfully inlaid with a scene of the 'Hundred Deer' (bailu), variously-coloured in red, amber or black soapstone, green and white nephrite, and carved wood, playing on each side of a rushing torrent inlaid in mother-of-pearl cascading between malachite rocks issuing bamboo, lingzhi, narcissus, and wutong, all below a gnarled pine branch growing from a high cliff, inlaid in gilt-bronze bearing malachite clusters of needles entwined with a soapstone vine studded with silver beads forming the centres of tiny red lacquer flowers, below mother-of-pearl clouds partially obscuring the red lacquer sun, all inlaid on the zitan ground, the rim of the cover and box inlaid with a silver key-fret band, the wood of deep reddish-brown colour textured with typical streaks
of rectangular form raised on four corner feet, the cover masterfully inlaid with a scene of the 'Hundred Deer' (bailu), variously-coloured in red, amber or black soapstone, green and white nephrite, and carved wood, playing on each side of a rushing torrent inlaid in mother-of-pearl cascading between malachite rocks issuing bamboo, lingzhi, narcissus, and wutong, all below a gnarled pine branch growing from a high cliff, inlaid in gilt-bronze bearing malachite clusters of needles entwined with a soapstone vine studded with silver beads forming the centres of tiny red lacquer flowers, below mother-of-pearl clouds partially obscuring the red lacquer sun, all inlaid on the zitan ground, the rim of the cover and box inlaid with a silver key-fret band, the wood of deep reddish-brown colour textured with typical streaks
Provenance
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 17th May 1989, lot 348.
Literature
Sotheby's Hong Kong – Twenty Years, 1973-1993, Hong Kong, 1993, pl. 407.
Condition
The overall condition is very good with only minor natural shrinkage to the wood filled with glue. The inlays remain intact with only the lower left corner with possible repair and replaced malachite.
"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."
"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."
Catalogue Note
This exquisite box belongs to a small group of inlaid containers typically produced in the precious zitan wood, and occasionally in huanghuali. Generally they are of rectangular form and are finished with elegantly rounded covers and sides. The present example is outstanding for the exceptional workmanship which incorporates a variety of semi-precious materials to illustrate a scene of respite and natural harmony. The use of such a range of media, including soapstone, nephrite, mother-of-pearl, malachite, steatite, lacquer, gilt-bronze and silver, is testament to the craftsman’s dexterity and access to diverse crafts and materials within a single workshop.
The subject matter depicted on the present box is reminiscent of the well-known ‘Hundred Deer’ motif which was a popular theme during the Ming and Qing dynasty. According to Terese Tse Bartholomew, in Hidden Meanings in Chinese Art, San Francisco, 2006, p. 110, ‘hundred deer’ (bailu) is homophonous with ‘hundred emoluments’ and represents the wish, ‘may you receive the hundred emoluments from heaven’. The deer is also symbolic of longevity since it is the only animal capable of finding the lingzhi fungus of immortality. A huanghuali box decorated with a much simpler scene of five deer in a landscape was sold in our New York rooms, 16th September 2009, lot 136.
The most comprehensive group of related inlaid boxes can be found in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Hong Kong, 2002, pls. 219-248. Compare also a similarly inlaid box illustrating a hunting scene, published in The Palace Museum Collection of Elite Carving, Beijing, 2004, pl. 100, together with a container luxuriously embellished on all sides with gems forming flowers, pl. 99; and two earlier boxes dated to the Ming dynasty, Jiajing period, and attributed to the master carver Zhou Zhu, one depicting a Mongol equestrian bowman and the other a massive box with figures, both from the Water, Pine and Stone Retreat Collection, sold in these rooms, 4th April 2012, lots 116 and 179.
The subject matter depicted on the present box is reminiscent of the well-known ‘Hundred Deer’ motif which was a popular theme during the Ming and Qing dynasty. According to Terese Tse Bartholomew, in Hidden Meanings in Chinese Art, San Francisco, 2006, p. 110, ‘hundred deer’ (bailu) is homophonous with ‘hundred emoluments’ and represents the wish, ‘may you receive the hundred emoluments from heaven’. The deer is also symbolic of longevity since it is the only animal capable of finding the lingzhi fungus of immortality. A huanghuali box decorated with a much simpler scene of five deer in a landscape was sold in our New York rooms, 16th September 2009, lot 136.
The most comprehensive group of related inlaid boxes can be found in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Hong Kong, 2002, pls. 219-248. Compare also a similarly inlaid box illustrating a hunting scene, published in The Palace Museum Collection of Elite Carving, Beijing, 2004, pl. 100, together with a container luxuriously embellished on all sides with gems forming flowers, pl. 99; and two earlier boxes dated to the Ming dynasty, Jiajing period, and attributed to the master carver Zhou Zhu, one depicting a Mongol equestrian bowman and the other a massive box with figures, both from the Water, Pine and Stone Retreat Collection, sold in these rooms, 4th April 2012, lots 116 and 179.