A Mother-of-Pearl Inlaid Black Lacquer Stand Ming Dynasty, 16th / 17th Century

the square top resting on a recessed waist with red-lacquered quatrefoil rectangular panels and a shaped rounded apron with scalloped edges, all supported on four tapering cabriole legs and set with a red lacquer ball covered by a gilt strip above the feet, all on a low base with a waisted frieze of further pierced panels, the black-lacquered surface finely inlaid in iridescent slivers of mother-of-pearl with the Eight Immortals in a landscape in front of a multi-storeyed pavilion, below Shoulao standing on a cloud under the moon in the distance, all among luxuriant trees and stylized rocks at the corners, meanwhile a male and a female figures are entertained by musicians and dancers and sharing a meal in the forefront, inscribed with an illegible four-character mark in the lower left corner, the apron similarly decorated figural scenes enclosed in barbed panels against a floral-diaper ground, the legs picked out with flower sprays, the base inlaid with a procession of three equestrian figures and their entourage in front of a pavilion among luxuriant trees, the edges and borders all elaborately decorated with a variety of diaper motifs

The lacquer stand is in overall fairly good condition with the mother-of-pearl inlays rather well preserved. There are some patches of relacquering to the ground on the top showing on the detail photo, essentially between the figures near the signature at the lower left, next to the building in the upper left corner with a few scattered to the right below the pine tree. Most of the retouching is shown on the detail image on pg.38 of the catalogue. There are some expected losses to the mother-of-pearl inlays around the sides and on the apron, including the lower section of one figure's garment on the front side and two small sections of the fence to the right of the terrace within the barbed panel, also shown in the photo. There is further retouching to the black lacquer ground or occasional losses to the other barbed panel around the apron as well as along the edges. The top of the legs appears to the relacquered, possibly to reinforce the joints. The lower panel above the pedestal stand also has expected losses to the mother-of-pearl inlays as well as retouching to the black lacquer ground. There is a horizontal stabilised crack above the figures. There are further flakes to the lacquer ground or losses of inlays along the legs and around the bracket-shaped base. The edge of the apron and the decorative elements on top of the legs are likely to have been regilded over the course of the years. Overall a rather impressive piece.
"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."

A stand of related form and similarly decorated on the square top with figures in mother-of-pearl inlay, in the Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo, was included in the Museum’s exhibition Chûgoku no Raden [Mother-of-pearl Inlay in Chinese Lacquer Art], Tokyo, 1981, cat. no. 46, together with another stand of this type, but with a carved apron, in the Itsuo Art Museum, Osaka, cat. no. 69. Further related examples include a stand sold in our New York rooms, 19th March 2007, lot 11; another, from the Yatsuda Family collection, sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 27th May 2006, lot 1942; and two stands of much smaller size, the first sold in these rooms, 8th October 2010, lot 2753, and the second sold at Christie’s London, 20th and 21st June 1984, lot 349.