WANLI INCISED AND GILT BINGXU CYCLICAL DATE, CORRESPONDING TO 1586 AND OF THE PERIOD

细节

AN IMPORTANT AND RARE LARGE POLYCHROME LACQUER 'DRAGON' BOX AND COVER
WANLI INCISED AND GILT BINGXU CYCLICAL DATE, CORRESPONDING TO 1586 AND OF THE PERIOD
The circular cover is carved through layers of red, yellow, green, brown and black lacquer to depict a central medallion containing a writhing five-clawed dragon pursuing a 'flaming pearl' amidst cloud scrolls above rolling waves breaking against rocky outcrops, all reserved on a wavy diaper ground. The sides are decorated with four ogival panels enclosing 'Flowers of the Four Seasons' divided by treasures, above a band of linked ruyi-heads, repeated on the sides of the box. The base is incised and gilt with a eight-character Wanli mark with the cyclical Bingxu date.
12 3/4 in. (32.7 cm.) diam., Japanese wood box

来源

A Japanese private collection, Nigata, acquired in the second half of the 20th century

荣誉呈献

Nick Wilson

查阅状况报告或联络我们查询更多拍品资料

chinese@christies.com Tel: +852 2760 1766

登入

浏览状况报告

拍品专文

The current box is extremely rare and only one other identical box is known, also inscribed with a Wanli Bingxu cyclical date, in the Qing Court Collection and illustrated in Lacquer Wares of the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 2006, no. 172. (fig. 1) The author states that the Palace Museum box was the only known polychrome lacquer example at the time executed with the 'vertical colour' method (shu se), where the carving was rendered on lacquer of various colours placed vertically side by side, instead of the conventional way of carving through horizontal layered polychrome lacquer, making the present box exceptionally rare and important.