Until 31st Dec, 2025
Buy it now
A THREE-COLORED LACQUER ‘MELON’ BOX AND COVER, QIANLONG PERIOD
Lot 396 - FAS1025
China, 1736-1795. The top of the cover is finely carved with two overlapping melons borne on twisting vines issuing broad leaves, some furled and delicately curled. The foliage is heightened with tones of cinnabar, green and brown lacquer, evoking the subtle color shifts of late summer and early autumn, when melons come into fruit.
The rich cinnabar ground is meticulously carved with a dense diaper pattern enclosing small flowerheads, a motif that continues around the sides. The interior and base are lacquered black.
Provenance: From a private collection in Niederrhein, Germany.
Condition: Good condition with minor wear, traces of use, and expected age cracks. Minimal rubbing and little flaking to lacquer, few small chips mostly to interior.
Weight: 105.4 cm
Dimensions: Length 10.1 cm
Asymmetrical, fruit-shaped boxes such as this one were crafted as part of elaborate sets of vessels designed to hold delicate confections, often stored together within larger fitted cases. This box exemplifies the technical virtuosity and symbolic richness prized at the Qing court under the Qianlong Emperor. Shaped as a melon—a motif of profound resonance—it evokes themes of fertility, prosperity, and the continuity of family lineage. With its abundant seeds and luxuriant vines, the melon embodied values central to both imperial authority and domestic life, making it a fitting subject for refined works of art like the present lot.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related polychrome lacquer box with melon decoration, 13.9 cm long, dated to the Qing dynasty, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, object number 故漆000231N000000000.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's New York, 15 September 2011, lot 917
Price: USD 16,250 or approx. EUR 20,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A small three-color lacquer double peach-form box and cover, Qianlong period, 1736-1795
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, manner of carving, and coloration. Note the slightly larger size (11.4 cm).
You can find images of this item taken under natural daylight below. Click on an image to zoom in or save. If there are no natural light images for this item, please email us at office@zacke.at or use the request form below.
If there are any existing additional images of this item, you can find them on this tab. You must be logged into your personal Zacke account to see the images. Click on an image to zoom or save.
Log in or sign up to view the natural light images.
Click here to request more information on this lot.
How to Buy Online
You must log in or create an online account in order to buy items from the shop.
Click the red 'Buy it Now' button to buy this item. You will then be able to download your invoice and receive instructions about how to pay. Prices include Buyer's Premium.
If you would like to buy multiple items at the same time, add the items you want to your cart. You will then be able to check out with multiple items simultaneously.
Items in your cart are not reserved. Please complete the purchase process promptly to secure the items.
How to Buy Offline
If you would like to buy one of these items outside of the online shop, please contact us at office@zacke.at or +43 (1) 532 04 52.
Our Terms and Conditions
As part of our ongoing efforts to keep our auctions fair and transparent, we encourage you to read our terms and conditions thoroughly. We urge you to read through §34-50) to ensure you understand them. These terms are specifically designed to protect all serious and committed buyers from bidding against non-payers who attempt to inflate prices without the intent of paying their auction bills.
For further reading about non-payers at auction, go here: https://www.zacke.at/aboutnonpayers/.
The main points include the following:
- Bidders must complete their due diligence and clarify all questions about the objects before the auction. After the auction, Zacke will not answer questions from bidders unless the purchase price has been paid in full. Of course, this does not apply to questions concerning shipping, insurance, customs, etc.
- A sale cancellation of any kind after the fall of the hammer is not possible. The only exception to this fundamental rule is our guarantee of authenticity [the Guarantee].
- A Guarantee Claim, however, can only be raised after the purchase price has been paid in full by the buyer and within 45 days after the auction day.
If you have any questions about our policies, please get in touch with us at office@zacke.at.
By placing a bid, you agree to our Terms of Auction and Terms and Conditions.
