A rare carved three-colour cinnabar lacquer document box and cover


QianlongIntricately carved on the cover with a central shou medallion encircled by five bats, wu fu amidst blooming peonies, the front, back and side panels similarly carved, the interior lacquered black and decorated with gilt floral sprigs, the sides fitted with bail handles, the front with a foliate-incised rectangular lock plate and ruyi clasp. 42cm (16 1/2) wide (2).
|清乾隆 剔彩五福捧壽花卉紋寶奩Provenance: a European private collection來源：歐洲私人收藏The present lot is rare in being three-coloured. Boxes bearing the same form as the present example appear to have been manufactured also in zitan, both zitan and lacquer being highly-regarded by the Qing court. Compare with two similar cinnabar lacquer examples, Qianlong, which were sold at Sotheby's New York, 13 September 2016, lot 351, and Sotheby's Hong Kong, 11th April 2008, lot 2864. A similarly sized and shaped zitan box, 18th century, fitted with gilt-bronze handles, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Furniture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, vol.4, Hong Kong, 2002, pl.235.