A dendritic agate rectangular box and cover, Mark and period of Qianlong | 清乾隆 樹紋瑪瑙長方蓋盒 《大清乾隆年製》 款

The present box is outstanding for the quality of the agate stone used, where the material is of brilliant emerald and brown colouration with a transitional appearance from semi-translucent to opaque to the beautiful stone.

Small box and covers such as the present piece are mostly standard objects of the Imperial scholar’s desk and were made in a number of mediums such as porcelain, glass, jade and hardstone. See a related chalcedony seal-paste box and cover, from the collection of Mary and George Bloch, six-character Qianlong mark and of the period, sold in these rooms, 23rd October 2005, lot 26. and another finely carved agate seal-paste box with cover, also with a Qianlong reign mark on the base, sold at Christie's New York, 1st December 1983, lot 669.

盒瑪瑙製成，長方形，平地，直壁，子母口。瑪瑙呈樹紋，以深寶石綠及褐色條紋相間，褐色較淺的部分呈半透明狀態，間以瑪瑙自然放射紋理，是為巧奪天工之作。

此類尺寸的蓋盒大多為宮廷文房用器，製作材質亦多樣化，包括陶瓷、料器、玉石等。參看一件瑪麗及莊智博私人收藏的清乾隆六字款玉髓印泥蓋盒，售於香港蘇富比2005年10月23日，編號26。另見一清乾隆年款瑪瑙印泥盒，售於紐約佳士得1983年12月1日，編號669。