A gold lidded box, China, Qianlong period or later. Photo Nagel

engraved four character Qianlong to base. The scalloped-shaped oval box with fitting lid, its outside decorated with wire decoration of foliate design, its lid with central red coral shou-character surrounded by bat motifs, both box and lid lavishly set with cabochon sapphire and ruby as well pearls, the inside deprived of any decoration and the base incised with four character mark Qianlong; 388,8 gram and 18-21 kt. Very minor wear. 10,5x8,5x5,6cm. Estimate 70 000 - 90 000 €.

Property of an European private collection.

No other box like the present one appearsto be published, howerver, the filligree scrolls ofthe sidelooks very similar to the backgrounds of imperial pieces such as a Tibetan-style inlaid gilt bottle, illustrated in Monarchy and its Buddhist-Way-Tibetan-Buddhist Ritual implements in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1999, p.182, pl. 89, a gold pavillon-shaped shrine inlaid with pearls and turquoise and gold plate, illustrated in Treasures of Imperial Court - The Complete Collection of Treasures of Imperial Court of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 2004, pls. 179 and 218 - Another turquoise and lapis-lazuli inlaidgoldbox from the National Palace Museum, Taipei, illustrated in Op. Cit., p. 221, pl. 123,bears a very similar Icharacter on the cover. The replacements of some pearls by pierced pearls was common as seen  on an inlaid gold calabash-shaped ewer from the Palace in Beijing and illustrated in Op. Cit., pl. 211.

Nagel. "Asiatische Kunst". 8.5.2014 - http://www.auction.de/