A rare finely inlaid soapstone curio cabinet. Qing dynasty, Qianlong period. Photo Sotheby's

of square section lavishly inlaid with panels of figures, flowers or vessel reserved on a bamboo-veneer ground, framed by multi-coloured soapstones finely incised with butterflies and flowers on wave-diaper ground, the tectal cover with a lady seated on a spindleback chair reading a book in a garden under a tall pine tree, the table before her laid out with peaches, a vase and books, the sides of the cover inlaid with panels of fruit sprays, flowers and vessels, the doors with two scenes, the left door with two ladies pointing at each other, and the right with a woman stooping before a bowing man, the soapstone set against finely painted architectual structures, the left and right sides each with three panels of lobed, quatrefoil, leaf or rectangular shape, enclosing either flowers, vessels or figures, the backside enclosing a scene of two lovers seated on a bench in a rock and pine tree garden, the cover opening up to a shallow tray and revealing a gilt-painted scene of phoenix and peonies on a red ground on the underside of the cover, the main doors opening to a landscape panel on one door and a scholar in a landscape on the other, the interior set with nine small drawers with metal pulls, each inlaid with either flowers, fruit or vessels within a lobed panel, the top centre door opening to reveal a secret six-sided rotating series of drawers, each further decorated with fruits and flowers, the flanking side drawers of triangular section, the exterior fitted with baitong hinges and ruyi-shaped lock plate and supported on a base. 44.5 by 40.8 by 41 cm. 17 1/2 by 16 by 16 1/8 in. Estimate 700,000—900,000 HKD. Lot Sold 3,020,000 HKD (387,179 USD) to an Asian Private

Sotheby's. Vestiges from China's Imperial History, 08 Apr 11, Hong Kong www.sothebys.com