Lot 71. A fine and rare inlaid-huanghuali cabinet, Kangxi period (1662-1722); 34,8 x 35 x 25,5 cm. Sold: €80 000 (Estimate €12 000 - €18 000). Photo Nagel Auction.

With two doors and frour drawers inside, metal fittings. The stand with openwork carving of dragons. The cover and the sides finely inlaid with mother-of-pearl, stones and different materials.

Provenance: From the collection of merchant Alfred Julius Forkel (1873-1934), assembled in China prior to 1910, described in the collector's diary, written between 1901 and 1910, on page 91 left, last paragraph, no. 1.

Note: The use of the inlay method known as baibao qian (One-hundred-precious-material inlay), a bolection-type of inlay in which the inlaid materials project above the surface into which they are inlaid like carving in relief, which imparts to the design a strong sense of three-dimensionality. During the late Ming Dynasty the city of Yangzhou in Jiangsu province was famous for its baibao qian material inlay lacquer work, particularly noteworthy was the style associated with the workshop of Zhou Zhu. This kind of work circulated rather widely during the late Ming and early Qing.

A very similar cosmetic cabinet from the Wilhelm Kimbel Collection, was sold at Nagel, 7.12.2021, Lot 332.