The present lot belongs to the group of carved lacquer wares which depict figures in pavilion and landscape scenes, a subject matter that was highly favoured for the material, as the skill and technique of the carver are well accentuated. As can be seen in the present box, the artist has created a sense of depth and perspective on the flat surface by using the different layers of lacquer. In addition, the intricate diaper patterns not only serve as decorative elements but help in differentiating the interior from the exterior, solid ground from air, and clouds from water.

Cf. carved lacquer wares with similar decoration: a 15th-century box in the Freer Gallery of Art, illustrated by H. Garner, Chinese Lacquer, 1979, fig. 29; a foliate dish in the British Museum, illustrated ibid., fig. 30; a box included in the exhibition, 2000 Years of Chinese Lacquer, Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1993, Catalogue, no. 40; and another from the Florence and Herbert Irving Collection, exhibited in East Asian Lacquer, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1991, Catalogue, no. 27.

The pattern carved on the circular upper surface of a sleeping scholar in a pavilion may depict the story of Emperor Ming Huang of the Tang dynasty whom in his old age, dreams of his deceased consort, Yang Guifei, returning as an immortal.

(US$45,000-58,000)