A SUPERB INLAID HUANGHUALI 'HUNTSMAN' BOX AND COVER ATTRIBUTED TO ZHOU ZHU, MING DYNASTY, JIAJING PERIOD

the cover finely inlaid in mother-of-pearl, soapstone, malachite, stained horn and other hardstones with a hunting scene, depicting the legendary archer, Yang Youji, on a galloping horse, loosing an arrow and bringing down a deer, detailed with a crane in flight, the rims bordered with wire-inlaid key-fret bands

Good overall condition. Some typical age cracks especially at the fragile corners, which have been carefully strengthened.
"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 present box is a rare example of a group of inlaid boxes depicting huntsmen attributed to the work of the Jiajing period master carver and artist, Zhou Zhu. As is characteristic of such works, the intricate inlay of various materials to depict a naturalistic scene is outstanding. For a detailed discussion on Zhou and his work, see the note to lot 12 in this catalogue. 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. 

Boxes attributed to Zhou Zhu and also depicting huntsman scenes include a slightly smaller rectangular example, from the Water, Pine and Stone Retreat collection, sold in these rooms, 4th April 2012, lot 116; and a circular box, from the collection of Mary and George Bloch, also sold in these rooms, 23rd October 2005, lot 90. Compare also larger boxes illustrating more complex hunting scenes, such as one, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, published in The Palace Museum Collection of Elite Carving, Beijing, 2004, pl. 100; and another depicting the legend of the master archer, Yang Youji, sold twice in these rooms, 10th April 2006, lot 1632, and again, 2nd June 2016, lot 88, from the collection of the Water, Pine and Stone Retreat Collection.

The inspiration for the decoration of the ‘huntsman’ boxes may have been drawn from contemporary or slightly earlier paintings; for example see a late-fifteenth century painting fragment included in the exhibition Turks: A Journey of a Thousand Years, 600-1600, The Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2005, cat. no. 162, depicting a huntsman on horseback holding a falcon.