QIANLONG FOUR-CHARACTER INLAID MARK WITHIN A SQUARE AND OF THE PERIOD (1736-1795)

The inlay on this box is stylistically similar to that seen on a hexagonal mother-of-pearl-inlaid black lacquer box and cover illustrated by G. Tsang and H. Moss, Arts from the Scholar's Studio, Hong Kong, 1986, pp. 168-69, no. 144, which bears a Qianli rather than a Qianlong mark, and is dated probably late Ming dynasty. On both boxes the background inlay for the panels on the cover and shoulder are of a pronounced green, purple or blue color and are of three different patterns. The inlay on the interior also appears to be similar.