YONGZHENG-QIANLONG PERIOD (1723-1795)

The decoration of flower blossoms on rolling waves represents a poetic line, 'With flowing water and falling blossoms, Spring also passes.' The application of literary content as a decorative motif was very popular under the Qianlong Emperor and can also be seen on lacquerware made during that period. Compare to a box and cover in the National Palace Museum, Taipei and illustrated in Carving the Subtle Radiance of Colors: Treasured Lacquerware in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2008, p. 128, no. 122. This example and the current lot share the remarkable depiction of flowers amongst rolling wave, demonstrating the meticulous craftsmanship of that period.