A PAIR OF CINNABAR LACQUER CARVED QUATRELOBED 'DRAGON' BOXES AND COVERS

Qianlong

Qianlong
Each four-lobed box and cover with straight sides rising to a flat cover top, finely carved within the thick beaded edge with three five-clawed dragons among tumultuous waves, in pursuit of the flaming pearl, their features and manes finely incised, turbulent waves crashing and foaming below, the sides with a hexagonal brocade pattern repeated on the box, the interiors and bases lacquered black. Each 16cm (6 3/8in) wide. (4).

清乾隆 剔紅海水龍紋海棠式蓋盒一對

Provenance:
Spink & Son Ltd., London
E. A. Parry (1879-1946), London, acquired from the above on 2 November 1921, and thence by descent

來源：
倫敦古董商Spink & Son Ltd.
倫敦E. A. Parry（1879-1946）舊藏，於1921年11月2日購自上者，並由後人保存迄今

A related quatrelobed box and cover with similar design of dragons and waves, Qianlong, is illustrated in The Creation of Natural Immensity and Grandeur: The Yang Ming Shan Fang Collection of Lacquer from Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, Beijing, 2020, p.176, no.53; another related carved cinnabar lacquer quatrelobed box and cover with design of three dragons, Qianlong six-character mark and period, is illustrated in Carving the Subtle Radiance of Colors: Treasured Lacquerware in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2008, p.133, no.132.

A related carved cinnabar lacquer 'three-dragons' square box and cover, Qianlong, was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 31 May 2017, lot 3237.

四瓣海棠式直壁平蓋。盒蓋凸沿內精雕三尾五爪龍，游弋於波濤之中追逐一火珠。龍身包括背棘等種種細節刻劃精細，波濤激起浪沫，動感十足。外壁遍飾六角錦紋，盒內及底部均髹黑漆。

參考一件清乾隆剔紅海水龍紋海棠式盒，圖見張榮主編，《巧法造化：陽明山房藏宋元明清漆器》，北京，2020，頁176，編號53。另件台北國立故宮博物院館藏一例清乾隆剔紅龍珠寶盒，收錄於《和光剔彩——故宮藏漆》，台北，2008年，頁133，編號132。

香港佳士得亦曾售出一件清乾隆剔紅三龍戲珠倭角方蓋盒，2017年5月31日，拍品編號3237，可資比對。