Comprising a scabbard chape of lenticular section carved on both sides with angular scrolls, the top pierced with one vertical and two smaller diagonal holes, the bottom carved in high relief with a chilong with a long bifurcated tail which extends down one side; the other a sword guard of lozenge shape with an oval perforation through the center, one side carved with an angular hooked scroll, the other side with a sinuouschilong, the stone of each fitting of white tone with sparse pale russet markings, two boxes. 

Property from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm E. McPherson

Exhibited: San Francisco, Golden Gate Park, Hall of Flowers, Treasures of the Orient, Society for Asian Art, 1979, no. 18e. 

Note: The deep V-cut decoration which exposes the multiple layers of red, black and ochre lacquer is characteristic of Yuan lacquers. A very similar box of comparable size is illustrated by J.P. Fang, Treasures of the Chinese Scholar, New York/Tokyo, 1997, p. 145, fig. 147. The box has an inscription indicating that it was made by a great Yuan lacquer artist, Zhang Cheng. A smaller box with similar carved design also employing three colors of lacquer is illustrated in Ancient Chinese Arts in the Idemitsu Collection, Tokyo, 1989, no. 381. See, also, the box of slightly smaller size (10.2 cm.) sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 30 April 2000, lot 642, which bore the signature of Yang Mao, who is mentioned in the Gegu yao lun as being a pupil of Yang Hui of Xitang at the end of the Yuan dynasty. 

Christie's. FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART. 17 September 2008, New York, Rockefeller Plaza.