Please note this Lot is to be sold at No Reserve. 本拍品不設底價

China, 14^th-16^th century. Of rounded square form, supported on a spreading foot with a shaped apron. The cover superbly carved with a scene of a scholar and his attendant standing on a path and looking toward another scholar in a pavilion, partly obscured by plantain leaves. A tree and craggy rockwork issuing neatly incised bamboo, below a wispy cloud and beside a gnarled tree, all against three notably different types of finely diapered grounds, a hallmark of excellence found only on the very best of Chinese lacquer wares. The sides carved with dense leafy sprays of peony and chrysanthemum. The interior and base lacquered black.

Provenance: English trade, by repute previously in an ancient Japanese private collection.
Condition: Very good condition with expected wear and small age cracks, few tiny nicks, occasional light scratches. By repute, the box was re-polished by a Japanese lacquer master in the mid-20^th century.

Weight: 682 g
Dimensions: Height 16.2 cm, Length 12 cm

Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related cinnabar lacquer three-tiered box and cover, 13.6 cm high, 12 cm long, dated to the late Yuan to early Ming dynasty, 14^th century, exhibited in the Shanghai Museum, In A Myriad of Forms: The Ancient Chinese Lacquers, 16 November 2018 to 24 February 2019, p. 110-111, cat. no. 66. Compare a related cinnabar lacquer four-tiered box and cover, 14.3 cm high, dated to the mid-Ming dynasty, from the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in Lacquer Wares of the Yuan and Ming Dynasties. The Complete Collection of the Treasures of the Palace Museum (Yuan Ming Qiqi. Gugong Bowuyuan Cang Wenwu Zhenpin Quanji), vol. 45, Hong Kong, 2006, p. 112-113, no. 82. Compare a closely related cinnabar lacquer three-tiered box and cover, dated to 1451-1500, in the British Museum, registration number 1974,0226.21, illustrated by Garner, Chinese Lacquer, London, 1979, p. 99, no. 41.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 19 March 2008, lot 346
Price: USD 55,000 or approx. EUR 71,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare four-tiered square lacquer box and cover, Ming dynasty, 16^th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related manner of carving with a similar scholarly scene to the cover and blossoming flowers to the sides. Note the similar size (17.8 cm) and that the box is four-tiered.



元末至明代中期剔紅纏枝花卉三層方盒
中國，十四至十六世紀。四方形盒，外髹紅漆，全器上下共三層，方足外撇。蓋面錦地雕携琴訪友圖，園中小道上文人訪友，身側小童抱著琴。一位文人從一側亭中探出，似在打招呼又似在告別。四周芭蕉園林。外壁纏枝富貴牡丹紋。盒内與底足内髹黑漆。

來源：英國古玩交易，據説在一個日本私人收藏購得。
品相：狀況極好，有磨損和小的老化裂縫，微小的刻痕、劃痕。據說，這個盒子在二十世紀中葉由一位日本漆器大師重新拋光。

重量：682 克
尺寸：高16.2 厘米，長12 厘米

文獻比較：
比較一件非常相近的十四世紀元末明初剔紅三層方盒，高13.6 厘米，長12 厘米，展覽於上海博物館，《In A Myriad of Forms: The Ancient Chinese Lacquers》，2018年11月16日至2019年2月24日，頁110-111，圖錄編號66。比較一件相近的明代中期清廷收藏剔紅四層方盒，14.3 厘米高，見《故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集‧元明漆器》，卷45，香港，2006年，頁112-113，編號82。比較一件非常相近的1451-1500年剔紅三層方盒 ，收藏於大英博物館，館藏編號1974,0226.21，見Garner，《Chinese Lacquer》，倫敦，1979年，頁99，編號41。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：紐約佳士得，2008年3月19日，lot 346
價格：USD 55,000（相當於今日EUR 71,000）
描述：十六世紀明代剔紅四層方盒
專家評論：比較非常相近的雕刻風格，例如文人場景和花卉紋。請注意相似的尺寸(17.8 厘米) ，以及此盒是四層。