Lot 1085. A large lacquer rectangular 'Dragon' box and cover, Wanli six-character gilt-filled inscribed mark in a line and of the period (1573-1619); 15¾ in. (40 cm.) long. Estimate USD 60,000 - USD 80,000. Price realised USD 93,750. © Christie's Images Ltd 2014 

The cover and box are decorated in qiangjin and tianqi technique on a red ground with two five-clawed dragons contesting a flaming pearl amidst clouds on the top of the cover above flower scroll on the sides, which is repeated on the sides of the box, and there areruyi clouds on the lobed corners, fitted cloth box.

Note: Several other comparable boxes and covers are known and published, all with slightly different designs. A slightly larger qiangjin and tianqi box (47.8 cm. wide) of similar form incised with a Wanli cyclical date and decorated with two dragons centered around a shou character from the Lee Family Collection is illustrated in Dragon and Phoenix - Chinese Lacquer Ware, The Lee Family Collection, Tokyo, 1990, no. 82, p. 190-191. Another (36.6 cm. wide), also bearing a Wanli cyclical date and decorated with two dragons centered on auspicious emblems, from the Palace Museum, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum - 45 - Lacquer Wares of the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, Beijing, 2006, pp. 224-25, no. 177

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, New York, 18 - 19 September 2014