A SILVER-INLAID ZITAN ‘BIRD AND FLOWERS’ BOX AND COVER ATTRIBUTED TO ZHOU ZHU MING DYNASTY, JIAJING PERIOD

of rectangular form with rounded corners, the slightly rounded cover finely carved in shallow relief with a crested long-tailed bird, perched on a gnarled stem with blossoming prunus flowers, above a tea shrub behind a perforated rock, all reserved on a diaper ground within a key-fret border embellished with silver wire inlay, the sides of both the box and cover similarly decorated with branches of roses and peonies on diaper ground, the continuous design interrupted by the silver-inlaid key-fret bands encircling the lipped rims, the base slightly recessed and incised in the centre with a four-character seal reading Wang He zhenwan (‘Treasure of Wang He’), the wood of a deep chestnut-brown tone

The present box displays the finest characteristics associated with the work of the famous Ming dynasty master carver Zhou Zhu.  See notes to the embellished box in this catalogue (lot 145) for detailed information on Zhou.

Another zitan box of this form and size, with similar thin band of silver-inlaid key-fret rim around the cover and the base, but carved with figures on horseback in a mountainous landscape with pine trees and bamboo, the sides densely carved with branches of flowering prunus, was sold in our London rooms, 4th November 2009, lot 175.

The carving style of this box is reminiscent of that seen on a brushpot in this catalogue (lot 128). The brushpot is also decorated with the theme of birds, flowers and perforated rocks with a silver inlaid lip.

The seal on the base is a collector’s seal added for the well-known art connoisseur and collector Wang He, who lived in the Shanghai area during the Republican period.