AN EXTREMELY RARE IMPERIAL CINNABAR AND TIANQI LACQUER CARVED 'PLUM BLOSSOM' 'PICNIC' BOX SET, COVER AND STAND

Qianlong

Qianlong
The elaborate set comprising a cinnabar lacquer cover with lobed sides, finely carved on the upper surface with six tribute bearers carrying scrolls, coral vases, coins and other offerings set within a mountainous landscape scene dotted with rocks and paulownia trees, the vertical sides of the cover carved with cartouches depicting the 'Hundred Antiques', all on a diaper ground, the interior with a further two-tiered 'prunus blossom' box accommodating five smaller boxes enclosing a central circular box, all finely decorated with polychrome designs depicting delicate sprays of blossoming lotus, supported on a separate cinnabar lacquer stand, the upper surface incised with a large floral bloom radiating tendrils, the sides carved with a honeycomb pattern, raised on five cabriole legs. 16.8cm (6 5/8in) high x 19.5cm (7 5/8in) wide. (17).

清乾隆 剔紅胡人進寶梅花式套盒

Provenance:
Spink & Son Ltd., London
E. A. Parry (1879-1946), London, acquired from the above on 31 March 1925, and thence by descent

Published, Illustrated and Exhibited:
Spink & Son Ltd., A Selection of Oriental Works of Art, London, circa 1924, p.17, no.281

來源：
倫敦古董商Spink & Son Ltd.
倫敦E. A. Parry（1879-1946）舊藏，於1925年3月31日購自上者，並由後人保存迄今

展覽著錄：
Spink & Son Ltd.，《A Selection of Oriental Works of Art》，倫敦，約1924年，頁17，編號281

This exquisite 'picnic' set was produced in the Imperial Lacquer Workshops of the Zaobanchu (Imperial Palace Workshop), located in the Forbidden City. Notable for the exceptional quality of its carving through the multiple layers of cinnabar lacquer and the ingenious combination of the polychrome tianqi (filled-in) technique decorating its inner compartments, the present lot reveals the opulent taste of the Qianlong Emperor and the zenith of lacquer carving achieved during his reign. Layer upon layer of lacquer was patiently applied to build up a thick surface through which the craftsmen meticulously carved a variety of grounds for the different elements of the elaborate designs, and the tianqi lacquer technique provided an attractive visual contrast to the carved cinnabar lacquer exterior, to the delight of the Emperor and the Court.

The shape of the present box with its five-lobed sides is often referred to as meihua xing, or 'Plum-blossom form'. This shape appears to have been highly favoured by the Qianlong Emperor. See a 'plum-blossom'-shaped cinnabar lacquer box, mid Qing dynasty, standing on a similar stand as the present example, in the Qing Court Collection, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Lacquer Wares of the Qing Dynasty, Shanghai, 2006, p.60, no.40.

In addition, the theme of tribute bearers appears to have been highly favoured by the Qianlong Emperor, as can be noted on a number of boxes in leading museum collections. A cinnabar lacquer lobed box, Qianlong, shaped as conjoined circles, in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, depicts a foreigner on horseback accompanied by his servant, is illustrated in Emperor Chien-lung's Grand Cultural Enterprise, Taipei, p.56, pl.I-45; see also a small cinnabar lobed box, Qianlong, which depicts a similar scene, and is illustrated by C.Lihua, Many Splendors: Yuan, Ming and Qing Lacquerware from the Chao Collection, Beijing, 2010, no.72.

The closest comparison for this sumptuous arrangement of 'boxes within a box' is the pair of musical-stone shaped boxes in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing. Contained within each of the Palace Museum boxes are four similarly-lacquered smaller containers; both sets of boxes were included in the exhibition, Views of Antiquity in the Qing Imperial Palace, Macao, 2006, p.326, no.116. See also another carved cinnabar lacquer box, divided into compartments on a separate base, illustrated by M.Beurdeley, The Chinese Collector Through the Centuries: From the Han to the 20th Century, Fribourg, 1966, p.161.

Also compare the tianqi work executed on the interior boxes within a lacquered rectangular box and a two-tiered box, Qianlong, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Zhongguo qiqi quanji, vol.6, Fuzhou, 1993, nos.95 and 101.

Compare with an extremely rare polychrome lacquer peach-shaped box and covers accommodating nine matching boxes and covers, Qianlong, which was sold at Christie's New York, 23 March 2013, lot 1319. See also a carved cinnabar octafoil box and cover accommodating eight fitted dishes, Qianlong, which was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 27 November 2007, 1794.

盒梅花形，下承底座，通體雕朱漆花紋。蓋面雕胡人進寶圖，進貢者分別手捧畫卷、珊瑚插瓶、錢幣及其他寶物。蓋外壁每瓣之上均治錦地開光，開光內為各式博古圖。內置雙層梅花式套盒，盒蓋隨形開光填漆彩繪蓮紋。下層為攢盒形式，內含五個扇形小盒環繞中央一圓盒，萬字錦地，每隻扇形小盒皆在盒蓋繪有一隻蝙蝠，中央圓盒繪一簇壽桃，有五福捧壽、福壽綿延之意。盒座表面飾以大朵纏枝團花，座身滿鋪六角錦地紋，下承五彎獸足，曲線優雅。整體結構匠心獨運，精巧絕倫。

本例無疑為清宮造辦處所製御用之物。盒蓋漆層厚重，雕工細膩，配以色彩斑斕之填漆內盒，更添光彩，彰顯乾隆皇帝的奢華品味外，更是其在位期間漆藝巔峰之體現。盒蓋所用「剔紅」之法，需在器物的胎型上塗上數十層至百層生漆，等乾後再雕刻出浮雕的紋樣，是對工匠耐性及手藝的極大考驗。而內盒上所施用的填漆紋樣，則以其瑰麗色彩與盒蓋的朱漆形成迷人的視覺對比。

乾隆皇帝似乎頗為鍾愛此類梅花式造型，如清宮舊藏一例清中期剔紅祝壽圖梅花式盒，主體造型極似本例，收錄於《故宮博物院藏文物珍品全集：清代漆器》，上海，2006，頁60，編號40。

而諸如「進寶」或「職貢」一類圖案亦為乾隆皇帝所好，此類主題的器物可見於數處重要博物館館藏。如台北故宮所藏一件清乾隆剔紅雙緣寶盒，其盒蓋上開光內圖案即為一西洋人騎馬前行，身後一徒步扛物者隨行，圖見《乾隆皇帝的文化大業》，台北，2002年，頁56，圖版I-45。飾有相似場景的另一件清乾隆剔紅瓣式小盒則收錄於陳麗華著，《重華綺芳: 曹氏藏元明清漆器》，北京，2010，編號72。

與本例盒中套盒結構最為相似的，應屬北京故宮博物院所藏一例清中期剔紅群仙祝壽圖磬式盒，雙層盒內皆有四個隨形小盒；該套盒曾於澳門展出，圖見展覽圖錄《邃古來今: 慶祝故宮博物院八十週年清宮倣古文物精品特集》，澳門，2006，頁326，編號116。另見一例有相類之處的剔紅攢盒，收錄於M.Beurdeley著，《The Chinese Collector Through the Centuries: From the Han to the 20th Century》，弗里堡，1966年，頁161。

本例內盒之填漆紋飾則可比較北京故宮博物院所藏一例清乾隆方形漆盒之內盒以及另一雙層盒，圖見《中國漆器全集》，卷六，福州，1993年，編號95與101。

一件清乾隆御製剔彩八仙慶壽桃式套盒，內含九件隨形小蓋盒，售於紐約佳士得，2013年3月23 日，拍品編號1319；以及一件清乾隆剔紅八瓣式攢盒，內含八小盤，售於香港佳士得，2007年11月27日，拍品編號1794，可資比對。