A SUPERBLY CARVED POLYCHROME LACQUER 'CHUN' BOX AND COVER MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG

the cover with rounded sides rising to a flat top, deeply and exquisitely carved through the layers of cinnabar, green and yellow lacquer with a large chun (spring) character centred with a medallion depicting a seated figure of Shoulao with his deer behind him, the lower section of the medallion decorated with a large lobed vessel overflowing with polychrome undulating waves and auspicious emblems, the rounded sides of the cover and box deeply carved with two friezes divided by a thin band of foliate motifs, one superbly rendered with undulating lingzhi blooms, the other with four lobed cartouches enclosing scenes of Shoulao and attendants and divided by the babao ('Eight Treasures'), the interior and base lacquered black, the base gilt-inscribed with a six-character reign mark followed by a four-character inscription reading chunshou baohe ('precious box of spring and longevity')

Manno Art Museum collection, no. 1058.
Christie's Hong Kong, 28th October 2002, lot 568.
A private East Asian family collection.
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 11th April 2008, lot 2863.

This magnificent box and cover has been preserved in overall good condition and the carving is exceptional. There are minor condition issues which in no way detract from the beauty of the piece, including typical age cracks, as visible at the 9.30 position of the catalogue photo, minor losses to the fragile extremities, bruises to the inner flanges and footrim, some of which stabilised and relacquered, including the mouthrim, general surface wear and scratches.
"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."

Notable for its meticulous carving and carefully composed design, the present piece belongs to an important group of boxes offered as tribute to the Qianlong Emperor. According to the Zaobanchu Archives of the Qing Imperial Household Department, in the 11th month of the 8th year of the Qianlong reign (corresponding to 1743), four boxes of this type were presented to the Emperor, who ordered that they be inscribed with the four-character chunshou baohe ('precious box of spring and longevity') mark. The boxes were presented again and approved by the Emperor on the 27th day of the same month.

A closely related box, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, was included in the Museum's Special Exhibition of Palace Lacquer Objects, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1981, cat. no. 67; one in the Avery Brundage Collection in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, is illustrated in Sir Harry Garner, Chinese Lacquer, London, 1979, pl. 90; another was sold in our London rooms, 7th March 1978, lot 130; and two were sold at Christie's Hong Kong, the first, 21st September 2004, lot 84, and the second, 28th May 2014, lot 3004.

Compare also a box carved with this motif, but inscribed with a shouchun baohe mark, from the Baoyizhai Collection, included in the Oriental Ceramic Society exhibition 2000 Years of Chinese Lacquer, Art Gallery, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1993, cat. no. 76, and sold in these rooms, 8th October 2014, lot 3224; another sold at Christie's London, 9th July 1979, lot 79; and another, without the reign mark, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Lacquer Wares of the Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong, 2006, pl. 61.

The design adorning these boxes is steeped in auspicious symbolism and derives from Jiajing (1522-66) originals. The inscription shouchun baohe is composed of the chun and shou characters, which represent a wish for 'ten thousand longevities and eternal spring' (wanshou changchun), while bao ('treasure' or 'precious thing') refers to the contents of the box, which may be filled with gold and silver coins, ingots, gems, coral, pearls and other precious materials. Spring also represents renewal and the beginning of the New Year; hence boxes of this type were designed to convey the sentiment of longevity and renewal of life. For a Jiajing prototype, see one in the Palace Museum, Beijing, included in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Lacquer Wares of the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, Hong Kong, 2006, pl. 134.