A CINNABAR LACQUER ‘STAR GODS’ BOX AND COVER MING DYNASTY, 16TH CENTURY

of octagonal form, the domed cover deftly carved in relief at the top with an octagonal panel enclosing the Three Star Gods riding on clouds and a crane in flight, with a peach tree issuing from overhanging rocks in a distance, all above a tiered pavilion sheltered amongst jagged mountains, the eight-facetted sides with shaped panels variously depicting boys at play in garden landscapes, the box similarly decorated with shaped panels enclosing floral branches including chrysanthemum, prunus and camellia, all above a band of wavy lappets, the rims encircled by demi peony flowers in quatrefoil cartouches, the flared foot similarly decorated with shaped panels enclosing chrysanthemum sprays, the interior and base lacquered black

Manhattan Storage Warehouse auction, 1942.
Collection of F. Bailey Vanderhoef, Jr., California.

Oriental Lacquer: An exhibition organised by guest curator, F. Bailey Vanderhoef, Jr., Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara, 1976, p. 9, cat. no. 4.

It is extremely rare to find a 16^th century lacquer box of this complex form in such a well preserved state, in which the carved figures in landscape scenes are so intricately picked out. There is however a near identical box and cover in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, illustrated by Roger Fry et al, Chinese Art. An Introductory handbook to Painting, Sculpture, Ceramics, Textiles, Bronze and Minor Arts, London, 1935, pl. 72, where the authors opine that the ‘soft rounded edges of all the carving here are in excellent taste’, superior to the sharper style of carving on Qianlong lacquer.

Lacquer boxes and covers of this large size became popular as luxurious food containers in the Yuan dynasty. For a Yuan dynasty octagonal lacquer box and cover, more compressed than the current example and inlaid with mother of pearl, see the celebrated box and cover formerly in the Edward T. Chow collection and latterly the Lee family collection, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 1st December 2009, lot 1823.