A SUPERBLY CARVED MING THREE-COLOUR LACQUER 'HIBISCUS' BOX AND COVER

MING DYNASTY, 15TH/16TH CENTURY

Details

A SUPERBLY CARVED MING THREE-COLOUR LACQUER 'HIBISCUS' BOX AND COVER
MING DYNASTY, 15TH/16TH CENTURY
The domed circular cover naturalistically carved through the thick cinnabar to the olive green and ochre yellow layers beneath, in varying depths to depict complex layers of three blossoming hibiscus flowers and further buds growing on long leafy stems, the leaves picked out in green, the design repeated on box around the recessed base, all between raised plain line borders, the interiors and base lacquered black
2 5/8 in. (6.3 cm.) diam., Japanese wood box

Provenance

A Japanese private collection

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Lot Essay

The use of multiple colours, given equal prominence, on lacquerware is quite unusual. The design of the flowers surrounded by leaves and buds is commonly found on lacquer boxes of this size during this period, but the use of green and cinnabar, both given equal prominence is very unusual and very few three-colour lacquer boxes of this date are known. Compare with two similar three-colour lacquer examples in the Palace Museum Collection carved with chrysanthemum illustrated in Lacquer Wares of the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 2006, pp. 122-123, nos. 89 and 90.

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