A RARE BEIJING ENAMEL YELLOW-GROUND 'PEACHES' SEAL PASTE BOX AND COVER MARK AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG

of octafoil section, the domed cover delicately painted on each lobe with the attributes of the Eight Immortals wrapped in billowing ribbons, encircling a leafy branch bearing two peaches coloured in shaded tones of apple-green to vivid raspberry-pink, the shallow rounded sides of the box painted on each lobe with an archaistic kui dragon in alternating colours of blue, pink, aubergine and green, all against a yellow ground, the recessed base enamelled in red with a four-character reign mark in a double-circle reserved on an apple green ground bordered with white and pink 'C'-scrolls, the interior enamelled turquoise

Alice Boney (1901-88), New York.

Fang Jing Pei, Wang Pehuan and Judith Rutherford, Elegance of the Qing Court: Reflections of a Dynasty Through Its Art, Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, NE, 2008, cat. no. 78.

Fang Jing Pei et al, Treasures of the Chinese Scholar, New York, 1997, fig. 108.

In overall good condition with only expected pinholes and very few minute losses to the enamels. The cover has a repaired area of approx. 0.7 by 1.5 cm to the flute.
"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 charming box exemplifies the Yongzheng Emperor’s strong beliefs in portents of good fortune, as evidenced by the delicately painted motif of two ripe peaches surrounded by the baxian, the attributions of the Eight Immortals which symbolise longevity and blessings.

Yongzheng mark and period wares with similarly enamelled designs include a cup with cover and stand, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, included in the Museum’s exhibition Harmony and Integrity. The Yongzheng Emperor and His Times, Taipei, 2009, cat. no. II-18; and a censer sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 3rd November 1998, lot 1050. This motif of fruiting and flowering peach trees had already been used on painted enamel wares during the preceding Kangxi reign; see for example a vase and a cup in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Compendium of Collections in the Palace Museum. Enamels, vol. 5, Painted Enamels in the Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 2011, pls. 7 and 13.