A RARE CARVED CINNABAR LACQUER 'CLOUDS AND DRAGON' BOX AND COVER MARK AND PERIOD OF QIANLONG

of lozenge form with lobed indented corners, the cover constructed with straight sides enveloping the straight flanges of the box, the cover deftly carved through layers of rich red lacquer with a cartouche enclosing two dragons soaring around a central 'flaming pearl' against a dense ground of tumultuous waves, bordered by a floral diaper band, each side decorated with a rectangular cartouche enclosing a scene of rugged rockwork detailed with budding and flowering blossoms, all against densely picked out diapered grounds of varying patterns, the straight edges of the cover with key-fret bands repeated at the rim skirting the foot of the box, the black-lacquered straight flanges of the box painted with a dense diapered ground of chrysanthemum florets and wan symbols, the interior and base similarly lacquered black, the interior of the cover further gilt-incised with an inscription reading Yunlong baohe ('clouds and dragon treasure box'), the base with a six-character reign mark

Spink & Son Ltd., London.

Structurally the box and cover in good condition with minor restorations including a 2cm section on the side of the box and minor cracks that have been stabilised. The inner flanges have been retouched. Other surface wear and scratching. Rubbing to two of the characters of the Qianlong mark as visible in the catalogue photo. The actual colour is of a deeper red than the catalogue illustration.
"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 designs of two ferocious scaly dragons against a ground of tumultuous waves, this box belongs to an important group of boxes made during the Qianlong reign. According to the Zaobanchu Archives of the Qing Imperial Household Department, between 1771 and 1775 the Qianlong Emperor ordered the Palace Workshops to produce carved lacquer treasure boxes with specific designs, and their name inscribed on each box. In particular, it is recorded that two pairs of facetted boxes with canted corners carved with this design and inscribed with a yunlong baohe ('clouds and dragon treasure box') mark, were made on the 39th year of the Qianlong reign, corresponding to 1774 (see Yang Yong, ‘A Research of Lacquerware Inscriptions from Qianlong Reign’, Journal of National Museum of China, no. 6, 2003, p. 680).

Qianlong mark and period boxes with a yunlong baohe mark include one circular box in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Gugong bowuyuan cang diaoqi/ Carved Lacquer in the Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, 1985, pl. 316; another from the Florence and Herbert Irving collection, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, included in the exhibition East Asian Lacquer, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1991, cat. no. 43, where it is noted that the mark "probably corresponded to the entry for the box in the inventory of articles in the imperial household", p. 108; a cylindrical box, in the National Museums of Scotland, Edinburgh, illustrated in Hu Shih-chang and Jade Wilkinson, Chinese Lacquer, Edinburgh, 1998, pl. 30; and a further box sold at Christie’s Paris, 15th June 2004, lot 123. See also boxes carved with a similar motif but inscribed with a longwen baohe ('dragon treasure box') mark, such as one sold in our London rooms, 16th May 2007, lot 75; and another sold at Bonhams Hong Kong, 3rd December 2015, lot 32.