The theme of 'boys at play', popularised by the Southern Song dynasty Court official, Su Hanchen (active early 12th century), prevailed to the Ming period when the decorative design transferred onto ceramics and lacquerwork. By the mid Ming dynasty, the number of 'boys' multiplied to form the 'hundred boys' theme thus providing an auspicious imagery of fraternity. This topic appeared as underglaze-blue decorations on porcelain such as the large jar and cover from the Jingguantang collection, sold in these Rooms, 5 November 1997, lot 888, dated to the Jiajing period (1522-1566).

Lacquer objects illustrating this amusing subject remained favourable in the Qing period of which the present lot is a good example. The Qing examples followed the 16th century theme: compare the lively depiction of the children with those on the upper surface of a rectangular lacquer box, dated to the mid Ming period, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, Zhongguo Qiqi Quanji, Ming, vol. 5, no. 71. A number of examples were produced for the court during 18th century, cf. one with a Qianlong mark from the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Zhongguo Meishu Quanji, Lacquer, vol. 8, no. 168; another illustrated in Le Musée Chinois de l'Imperatrice Eugenie, p. 49; and a circular box and cover in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, illustrated in Hai-wai Yi-chen, Chinese Art in Overseas Collections, Lacquerware, Taibei, 1987, pl. 155.