明萬曆 剔紅纏枝花卉紋長方盒 《大明萬曆壬辰年製》《福藩用》款

of rectangular outline with cusped corners, the sides carved with recessed panels decorated with flowers borne on a leafy stem, reserved against a ground of peony blossoms, the lip filed down, supported on a low keyfret encircled foot, the base incised with the dated mark and three characters reading Fufan yong (for use by Fufan)

Collection of Lord Daniel Samuel (1925-2014), Westport, Connecticut.

The lip of the box has been filed down, there are chips to the inner mouth rim that expose the wood core, and there are chips to the lacquer on the foot also exposing the wood. There are numerous age cracks around the mouth, foot, interior and base, some of these cracks with associated chips along their length.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Lord Daniel Samuel was an executive at Royal Dutch / Shell and the grandson of Lord Herbert Samuel, an important British politician and diplomat.

An almost identical box and cover with the same date, from the Lee family collection was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 3rd December 2008, lot 2134, and again on 30th May 2012, lot 4015; and another example also with the same date is  in the Beijing Palace Museum collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Lacquer Wares of the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, Hong Kong, 2006, p. 207, no. 164.