A RARE IMPERIAL THREE-COLOUR CINNABAR LACQUER 'BOOK' TIERED BOX AND COVER QING DYNASTY, QIANLONG PERIOD |

exquisitely carved, of square section, comprising a large bottom compartment in the form of two large stacked albums, the cover carved with rosettes within cellular diapers bordered by keyfrets, supporting on one side a smaller, similarly decorated rectangular box and another box worked as a bound book with clasps on the side, the latter ornately carved through layers of red, green and ochre lacquer, depicting on its cover fruiting and flowering medallions reserved on a diaper ground, beside a two-tiered box and cover in the form of three stacked handscrolls, each elaborately worked with meandering floral scrolls and tied with a strap, all supported on a square plinth raised on four cabriole legs connected by horizontal stretchers, the scrolled apron encircled by a floral meander echoing the decoration on the scrolls, the interiors and base lacquered black

The tiered box and cover are in very good structural condition for a piece of such fragility. There are expected age cracks to the lacquer as well with small nicks and losses to the edges and fragile extremities, including the roundels and tips of the floral motifs. There are also small areas of retouching, especially to the edges of the boxes and covers. There are also areas of stabilisation, particularly to the sides of the album and scroll-imitation designs and where the legs join the base.
"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."

This exquisite box is remarkable for its elaborate form and meticulous carving, and epitomises the Qianlong Emperor’s fondness for objects that simulated other materials. The Emperor actively challenged craftsmen working in every media to create pieces that were technically innovative and unconventional in their aesthetic. In this case the depiction of bound books and scrolls is particularly suited as the box would have contained such artworks. The Qianlong Emperor was an avid collector of paintings and calligraphies by revered masters, and was a versed calligrapher and poet himself. During his reign he undertook numerous projects to document his vast collection, including the Bidian zhuli (Pearl Forest of the Secret Hall) and the Shiqu baoji (Precious Collection of the Stone Moat), a two-part catalogue of the imperial collection of paintings and calligraphies compiled between 1744 and 1745. As the collection continued to grow, a supplement was compiled in 1793. The fragile nature of works on paper and silk, and the Emperor’s personal fascination with this art form, fostered the creation of exquisitely crafted boxes intended for their preservation.

A very similar box in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, is illustrated in Carving the Subtle Radiance of Colors. Treasured Lacquerware in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2014, pl. 151; another in the Shanghai Museum, was included in the Museum's exhibition In a Myriad of Forms: The Ancient Chinese Lacquers, Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, 2019, cat. no. 107; one carved in the form of three scrolls stacked on books, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, was included in the Museum’s exhibition The Imperial Packing Art of the Qing Dynasty, Beijing, 1999, cat. no. 33; and a third also in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in Carved Lacquer in the Palace Museum, Beijing, 1985, pl. 390.

Three boxes carved in the form of books are in the Palace Museum, Beijing, the first is illustrated as part of a lacquer writing set in Zhongguo qiqi quanji [Complete collection of Chinese lacquer], vol. 6, Fuzhou, 1993, pl. 232, the second is illustrated in Classics of the Forbidden City. Lacquerware in the Collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, 2012, pl. 96, and the third is published in Carved Lacquer in the Palace Museum, op. cit., pl. 395; a further a box, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, is illustrated op. cit., pl. 150; one in the Tianjin Art Museum, is published in Zhongguo qiqi quanji, op cit., pl. 221; two were sold in these rooms, 23rd October 2005, lots 390 and 394; and another was sold at Christie’s Hong Kong, 31st October 2000, lot 1012. A display cabinet including boxes carved in the form of books, from the Toms collection, was sold at Christie’s London in 1995, at Christie’s Hong Kong in 2002, and most recently in these rooms, 9th October 2007, lot 1645; and a rectangular box on wheels with three scrolls at the top, from the collection of Lord Hollenden, was sold in our London rooms, 18th-19th December 1973, lot 464.

Boxes carved in the form of books and scrolls were also made in wood; see for example one in the Palace Museum, Beijing, included in the exhibition The Imperial Packing Art of the Qing Dynasty, op. cit., cat. no. 36; and a wood and ivory cabinet with scrolls and books, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in A Garland of Treasures: Masterpieces of Precious Crafts in the Museum Collection, Taipei, 2018, pl. IV-72.