A carved cinnabar lacquer circular box and cover, Ming dynasty, 15th – 16th century
Lot 3663. A carved cinnabar lacquer circular box and cover, Ming dynasty, 15th – 16th century; 7.7 cm. Lot sold: 189,000 HKD (Estimate: 150,000 - 200,000). © 2021 Sotheby's
of oval lobed form, the shallow rounded sides resting on a short straight foot, the interior naturalistically carved with Wang Xizhi the flat circular cover crisply carved through deep layers of cinnabar lacquer with three boys depicted frolicking in a rocky landscape arboured with pine and wutong trees, one boy depicted hitting a gong and looking back at the boys behind him, another riding a bamboo pony, the other holding a large lotus leaf with furled edges, a small pavilion set beneath the willow tree, all against a diapered round, the interior lacquered black, the underside and sides of the box similarly carved with a scene depicting a boy shooting a bird hovering over them with another boy watching behind him, all against a diapered ground, the interior lacquered dark brown.
Property from the Baoyizhai Collection.
Sotheby's. Important Chinese Art including Imperial Jades from the De An Tang Collection, Hong Kong, 13 October 2021