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Lot Essay
The present box is highly unusual in that the floral design on main decorative surface is carved with a dense pattern of varied flowers rather than a depiction of a single species of flowers, as found on most examples - either on boxes or dishes - dated to the early Ming period. The only comparable example with varied flowers is a large dish in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, illustrated by D. Clifford, Chinese Carved Lacquer, Bamboo Publishing, London, 1992, pl. 25. In addition, the reign mark in this instance is written near the inner foot ring on the right side which deviates from other Yongle marks that are commonly found on the left side.
The lacquer-making tradition was well established by the Yongle reign as lacquer wares were sent as gifts in the early years of his reign. A letter dated to 1407 from Emperor Yongle to the Japanese Shogun, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, in recognition of his merit in capturing pirates who plagued maritime activities along the water route between China and Japan, states that thirty carved cinnabar lacquer incense boxes were sent together with other gifts, see J. Figgess, 'A Letter from the Court of Yung Lo', Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society, vol. 34, 1962-63, pp. 97-100. Compare with two similar Yongle-marked boxes, each carved with three blossoming peonies, sold at Christie's Hong Kong: the first, 30 April 2001, lot 644 (16.5 cm. diam.); the second, 28 October 2002, lot 581 (21.9 cm. diam.).
In comparison to the boxes that are cited above, the floral motifs on the present box are more naturalistic in the portrayal of the different flowers, particularly in the rendition of the subtle folds of the flower petals, which are superbly executed. In addition, the flowers and leaves are well proportioned and spatially balanced, which sets it apart from the floral designs found on the published boxes, see op. cit., 2007, p. 26, no. 8; pp. 28-33, nos. 9-14. It is also interesting to note the additional use of double outlines on some of the secondary motifs; this technique is more associated as a decorative style found on ceramics of the Song dynasty (960-1279), Yuan dynasty (1279-1368) and Hongwu period (1368-1398). As such, it is probable that the present box and cover pre-dates its Yongle mark.
The lacquer-making tradition was well established by the Yongle reign as lacquer wares were sent as gifts in the early years of his reign. A letter dated to 1407 from Emperor Yongle to the Japanese Shogun, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, in recognition of his merit in capturing pirates who plagued maritime activities along the water route between China and Japan, states that thirty carved cinnabar lacquer incense boxes were sent together with other gifts, see J. Figgess, 'A Letter from the Court of Yung Lo', Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society, vol. 34, 1962-63, pp. 97-100. Compare with two similar Yongle-marked boxes, each carved with three blossoming peonies, sold at Christie's Hong Kong: the first, 30 April 2001, lot 644 (16.5 cm. diam.); the second, 28 October 2002, lot 581 (21.9 cm. diam.).
In comparison to the boxes that are cited above, the floral motifs on the present box are more naturalistic in the portrayal of the different flowers, particularly in the rendition of the subtle folds of the flower petals, which are superbly executed. In addition, the flowers and leaves are well proportioned and spatially balanced, which sets it apart from the floral designs found on the published boxes, see op. cit., 2007, p. 26, no. 8; pp. 28-33, nos. 9-14. It is also interesting to note the additional use of double outlines on some of the secondary motifs; this technique is more associated as a decorative style found on ceramics of the Song dynasty (960-1279), Yuan dynasty (1279-1368) and Hongwu period (1368-1398). As such, it is probable that the present box and cover pre-dates its Yongle mark.