Lot 88
  • 88

AN INLAID 'HUNTERS' ZITAN BOX AND COVER ATTRIBUTED TO ZHOU ZHU, MING DYNASTY, JIAJING PERIOD

Estimate
2,000,000 - 3,000,000 HKD
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Description

  • zitan
exquisitely carved of rectangular form, the cover finely inlaid in mother-of-pearl, coral, jade, lapis lazuli and other hardstones with a hunting scene, depicting an archer taking aim at a monkey in the high branches of a pine tree on the far bank of a fast flowing stream, looked on by a sage and an attendant under the sun partially obscured by cloud, the interior with one removable tier

Provenance

Sotheby's Hong Kong, 10th April 2006, lot 1632.

Condition

The box has been preserved in unusually good condition. The inlays are all intact with just insignificant losses to some of the edges, especially the left of the green rockwork on the left. There are typical age cracks and shrinkage to the wood, with some minor infilling to stabilise the natural shrinkage. The catalogue photo is permeated with too much red. In reality, the zitan is a more attractive deep brown colour and the inlays, especially the mother-of-pearl, are lighter and brighter.
"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."

Catalogue Note

This exquisite box belongs to a small group of inlaid containers typically produced in precious zitan wood, and occasionally in huanghuali. The exceptional workmanship displayed here, especially in the quality of the beautiful inlay, suggests that it is by the hand of the Ming master carver Zhou Zhu, recorded in the writings of the Ming and Qing literati as having worked in Yangzhou in Jiangsu province during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor. He was famous for his invention of the technique of inlaying a wide variety of precious stones and other materials onto wood and lacquer. What distinguishes Zhou's works from others is his use of a much broader range of material and the complexity of the inlay itself. On the present box, and on others attributed to him, one finds coral, silver, gold, malachite, lacquer, different types of horn, mother-of-pearl and even gilt-bronze, suggesting that he had access to a wide range of crafts and materials within a single workshop. His inlay technique is extremely multifaceted, as he deployed inlay upon inlay and not just setting different material next to each other but creating a three-dimensional effect. He also used precious metals such as gold and silver, often creating stunning multi-layer works of art. Later versions, even very fine and complex works from the height of the Qing dynasty, rarely employed such a wide range of complex inlay techniques.

The design on the present box illustrates the legend of the master archer, Yang Youji, who lived in the Spring and Autumn Period during the reign of Chu Zhuangwang (590-560BC). In preparation for war, Chu initiated a series of tests for skilled archers in which Yang joined. Chu asked Yang to shoot a dragonfly without killing it, which Yang successfully achieved by shooting it in the left wing. Chu further asked Yang to shoot an agile white monkey, which even the best archers could not hit. Yang picked up his bow and arrow and aimed it at the place where the moving monkey had not yet arrived before successfully releasing it, revealing his ability to hit his target before actually hitting his target.

The most comprehensive group of related inlaid-boxes can be found in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Bamboo, Wood, Ivory and Rhinoceros Horn Carvings, Hong Kong, 2002, cat. nos. 219-48. A box decorated with a hunting scene, most probably the work of Zhou, is published in The Palace Museum Collection of Elite Carving, Beijing, 2004, pl. 100, together with a container luxuriously embellished on all sides with gems forming flowers, fruits and birds, pl. 99.  

While Zhou's birth date is unknown, the Jiajing period attribution to his work is confirmed by an inlaid box that bears an inscription of a date corresponding to 1537 inscribed in red lacquer on the base, sold in these rooms, 8th October 2010, lot 2192, richly embellished with an inlay decoration depicting a scene from a Mongolian hunt. A cinnabar lacquer box depicting a similar hunt was also sold in these rooms in the same sale, lot 2213. The two boxes are undoubtedly the products of the same workshop and possibly made by Zhou himself. It is worth noting that the sides of the lacquer box mentioned above are richly carved with blossoming branches, not dissimilar in style to that seen on this box, suggesting that the idea for the decoration may have derived from carved lacquer vessels. Arguably the most outstanding work attributed to Zhou Zhu in any museum or private collection is the massive inlaid zitan box and cover sold in these rooms, 16th/17th November 1988, lot 256, and again, 4th April 2012, lot 179, from the Water, Pine and Stone Retreat collection.