CHINE, DYNASTIE QING, XVIIIE SIÈCLE

Decorated in qiangjin tianqi, a technique combining polychrome lacquer infill with subsequent gilt incision, the surface displays a rich interplay of colour and line, enhanced by the contrast between the deep-toned lacquer ground and the brilliance of the gilding. The decoration on the cover further incorporates the Eight Buddhist Emblems (bajixiang), subtly integrated within the composition. The dragon-and-cloud imagery, together with motifs of lotus, rocks, bats and lingzhi, conveys a range of auspicious associations relating to blessings, longevity and cosmic harmony within an imperial context.
Chrysanthemum-form lacquer boxes of this scale were typically produced for imperial use, either as display pieces or for ceremonial contexts; examples of this size are rare and today are predominantly preserved in institutional collections.
A closely related chrysanthemum-form box and cover decorated in tianqi qiangjin with dragons is preserved in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in Zhongguo Qiqi Quanji, vol. 6, pl. 138. See also a comparable example sold at Christie's New York, 22 March 2013, lot 1318 (The Lan Family Collection).