A very rare imperial qiangjin and tianqi lacquer 'dragon & treasure basin' cabinet & stand. Jiajing (1522-1566). Photo Czerny's

Of rectangular shape, the top face delicately incised and gilt filled representing on a cartouche a five clawed dragon purchasing the flaming pearl amidst stylized clouds and above crested waves breaking against jagged rocks at the base, all picked out in red, brown, green and black and reserved on a diaper-ground of wan characters within squares. The front door depicting on cartouche a treasure basin on stand holding fruits and flowers along with five butterflies and two dragonflies flying above it. Both sides decorated with two handled hexagonal vases on stands holding flowers and butterflies flying around it. The inside part of the cabinet revealing a single drawer decorated with cartouche figuring a five clawed dragon purchasing a flaming pearl. Top face and front door's ground, together with the stand's top and the inside drawer's top all enhanced with finely incised flower branches and scrolls.
Note the beautiful alternation of coloring of the reserves contrasting between the black colored reserve of the front door's ground and the light brown nearly orange colored reserve of the three other decorated sides and the front door's cartouche.
Missing lock, age cracks. 62,5x25 cm. Estimate 50000.00 | 60000.00 €.

Note: Qiangjin and tianqi were two lacquers techniques consisting for the first 'qiangjin' in etching with gold the incised outlines, thus denoting the designs.(Presently used to enhance together dragon, treasure basin, flowers and other animals) While the second technique, 'tianqi' (filled-in) resulted from applying different lacquers colors in multiple layers therefore vividly coloring the surface and presently contrasting with the light brown diaper ground.
During the mid-Ming period, the combination of qiangjin and tianqi was employed for use on imperial lacquer, and the present cabinet is a good example of the high quality of the works that were produced.
Compare with a dish of the same technique and period sold at Poly International Auction, Beijing. 2011-06-07. Lot 9039. And an other plate of the same caracteristics sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 30 April 2001. Lot 2086.

Literature: Refer to a same pattern, similar in technique but much smaller case in the Palace Museum Collection, Beijing, illustrated in Lacquer Wares of the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 2006, p. 202, no. 160.

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