AN EMBELLISHED HUANGHUALI ‘FIVE FISH’ BOX AND COVER, QING DYNASTY, 17TH-18TH CENTURY
Lot 57 - FAS1025

Expert’s note: This work was originally conceived with five fish swimming in harmony, each one inlaid differently. The smallest one is now missing, a loss only apparent upon close inspection (see detail images). In Chinese culture, the number five denotes wholeness, and five fish together embody the Five Blessings: longevity, wealth, health, virtue, and a peaceful passing. Fish themselves, through their homophonic link with yu (surplus), are enduring emblems of prosperity and abundance, so five in unison evoke a life both fortunate and complete. Ordinarily we would have entrusted the replacement of the fifth fish to a professional restorer, yet in this case we have chosen to leave the decision to the winning bidder—whether to preserve the piece as it stands or to commission its renewal, selecting the craftsman and materials (with our guidance if desired), thereby making the work uniquely their own.

China. The wood displays a natural luster and characteristic ghost eyes typical of huanghuali. Finely carved into a rectangular box with an inset compartment, it is fitted with a cover featuring sloping edges that frame a pond scene. Five goldfish, four of which are inlaid in varied tones of mother-of-pearl with minuscule inset horn eyes, swim amid aquatic plants of stained bone. Above them, a blossoming pomegranate branch bearing fruit is intricately inlaid. The interior is finished in black lacquer.

The inlays are composed of mother-of-pearl, agate, soapstone, wood, coral, amber, stained bone, and possibly tortoiseshell.

Provenance: Collection of General Paul Victor Jamin, Paris, France, and thence by descent in the family. General Paul Victor Jamin (1807-1868), born in Montmédy to General Jean-Baptiste Jamin, entered the Special Military School of Saint-Cyr, was later appointed lieutenant, and served under the Duc d'Aumale in Algeria. Under the orders of General Cousin-Montauban, he took part in the China expedition (1860-1861), where he was promoted to divisional general. During his expedition, he assembled many Chinese artworks, including porcelains, jades, and bronzes. Some of his objects were donated to the British Museum.
Condition: Good condition overall, with minor wear and light surface scratches to the base. The base and corners show a few natural age cracks. Expected minor losses to inlays, with very few possibly renewed. One narrow side of the cover bears an old repair, and there are a few minuscule losses. The piece displays exceptionally well.

Weight: 1.2 kg
Dimensions: Size 25.4 x 15.1 x 9.8 cm

This superbly crafted box exemplifies the baibao qian or ‘Hundred Treasure Inlay’ technique, in which various precious materials, including coral, amber, agate, malachite, and mother-of-pearl, are set into prized woods like huanghuali or zitan. The result is a richly textured and colorful decorative effect. Due to the use of rare materials and the level of craftsmanship involved, such objects were particularly expensive and highly valued at the time.

Such embellished boxes have been attributed to the famed Ming dynasty master craftsman, Zhou Zhu, celebrated for his invention of the technique of inlaying a wide variety of semi-precious stones and other materials onto wood and lacquer, and recorded in the writing of Ming and Qing literati as working in Yangzhou in Jiangsu Province during the Jiajing reign. For further discussion on the work of Zhou Zhu, see Chi Jo-Hsin, 'Chou Chu and the craftsmanship of Chou Chih works', Proceedings of the International Colloquium on Chinese Art History, Palace Museum, Taipei, 1991, Antiquities, p. 657.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 21 September 2021, lot 122
Price: USD 52,920 or approx. EUR 52,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An embellished 'huanghuali' box and cover, Qing dynasty, 17th/18th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and decoration as well as the similar color and grain of the wood. Note the size (27 x 16.5 x 10.2 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s Hong Kong, 30 May 2024, lot 2958
Price: HKD 2,142,000 or approx. EUR 238,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A hardstone and mother-of-pearl inlaid huanghuali ‘bird and flowers’ box and cover, Qing dynasty, 17^th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, decoration, and wood of similar grain and color. Note the different size (9.6 cm).

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