LOT 315 A VERY RARE IMPERIAL TIANQI AND QIANGJIN 'DRAGON' BO...
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A VERY RARE IMPERIAL TIANQI AND QIANGJIN 'DRAGON' BOX AND COVERWanli six-character mark and of the period Of rectangular form with canted corners, finely decorated with incised and coloured designs, the cover with a rectangular panel enclosing two five-clawed dragons in mutual pursuit of a 'flaming pearl' amidst various clusters of cruciform clouds, the rounded sides of the box and cover with continuous lotus and peony scrolls and Precious Emblems at the eight corners, the rims with further stylised floral scrolls, the base incised with the six-character mark in gilt, fitted box. 39cm (15 2/8in) long x 22.5cm (8 7/8in) deep x 17cm (6 5/8in) high. (2). 明萬曆 戧金填漆祥龍戲珠紋長方蓋盒 「大明萬曆年製」楷書款 pare with a related qiangjin and tianqi box of similar form, incised with a Wanli cyclical mark and of the period, decorated with two confronted dragons around an auspicious emblem, illustrated in Theplete Collection of Treasures from the Palace Museum. Lacquer Wares of the Yuan and Ming Dynasties , Beijing, 2006, no.177, pp.224-225. See also a similar box incised with a Wanli cyclical mark and decorated with two dragons flanking a Shou character, from the Lee Family collection, illustrated in Dragon and Phoenix - Chinese Lacquer Ware, The Lee Family Collection , Tokyo, 1990, no.82, pp.190-191. Boxes of similar shape, decorated with confronted dragons and scrolling lotus, dating to the Wanli period are also found in porcelain. See, for example, a similarly-shaped and decorated blue and white box and cover, Wanli mark and of the period, illustrated in The Fame of Flame. Imperial Wares of the Jiajing and Wanli Periods , Hong Kong, 2009, no.96. Another blue and white porcelain box and cover, from the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm, is illustrated in Oriental Ceramics , Kodansha Series, vol.8, Japan, 1982, pl.245. The auspicious message underscored by the five-clawed Imperial dragons and the cruciform ruyi clouds links the ruler to the wish for long life: dragons were empowered with extraordinary powers thatpared with those of the emperors, and when clutching the flaming pearl, expressed the visual metaphor of the good ruler who behaved wisely for the wellbeing of his subjects; clouds were, on the other hand, reminiscent of the mist swirling around the high-peaked mountains where Immortals were deemed to live, see R.Stein, The World in Miniature: Container Gardens and Dwellings in Far Eastern Religious Thought , Stanford, 1990. pare with a related Imperial 'yellow dragon' polychrome lacquer box and cover, Wanli mark and period, which was sold at Sotheby's New York, 16 September 2014, lot 548.
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