A carved cinnabar lacquer oviform 'lychee' box and cover


16th centuryWell carved around the exterior with a band of fruiting lychee branches reserved on a flowerhead-diaper ground, all between narrow lappet and key-fret bands at the foot and rim, the domed cover similarly decorated, the interior and base lacquered black, Japanese wood box 12cm (4 3/4 in) high. (3).
|十六世紀 剔紅荔枝紋圓蓋盒The word 'lychee' (lizhi 荔枝) is homophonous with 'establishing a son' (lizi 立子), and symbolises progeny.The domed shape of the box is unusual as typical lacquer lychee boxes and covers have straight sides. Compare with a domed box and cover and three straight-sided boxes with similar lychee motif in the Linden Museum, Stuttgart, illustrated by M.Kopplin, Im Zeichen des Drachen, Stuttgart, 2006, nos.55 and 61. A pair of carved cinnabar lacquer bowls with similar motif of lychees on a diaper ground between lappet and key-fret bands, mid Ming dynasty, is illustrated in Im Zeichen Des Drachen: Von Der Schonheit Chinesischer Lacke, Munster, 2006, p.141, no.60.Compare with a small cinnabar lacquer box and cover with similar motif of lychees, 16th/17th century, which was sold at Christie's New York, 16-17 September 2010, lot 1417.