AN EXQUISITE CANTON ENAMEL SHELL-FORM BOX QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD |

the deep box hinged with a flat cover, the exterior enamelled with striations simulating the undulating surface of a shell, the cover decorated with narcissus, peony and other flowering plants, the interior enamelled white on one side and with a fruiting melon branch beneath fluttering butterflies on the other

Collection of Mr and Mrs Alfred Clark, England.
Sotheby's Hong Kong, 27th April 2003, lot 311.

international Exhibition of Chinese Art, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1935-1936, no. 2127.

Frank David, 'The Enchantment of Painted Canton Enamel', The Connoisseur, June 1957, fig. 8.

The box and cover are in good condition and the enamels have been well preserved. There are small areas of retouching, the largest measuring approx. 1.5 by 1 cm to the exterior of the box below. An approx. 0.8 cm flake has been stabilised on the cover. There are some typical age crackles to the white ground on the interior (showing on the illustration in the catalogue).
"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."

A similar box of this unusual shell shape from the Mottahedeh collection is illustrated in David Howard and John Ayers, China for the West, vol. II, London, 1978, pl. 665. Another from the Elisabeth Halsey Dock collection was sold in our New York rooms, 1st June 1993, lot 107; and another from the estate of Constance A. Jones, was sold in our London rooms, 25th January 1989, lot 70.