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拍品專文
Carved cinnabar lacquer reached a technical and aesthetic apex during the Ming dynasty, with tihong (carved red lacquer) among the most celebrated techniques. Built up through the application of numerous layers of cinnabar lacquer, subsequently carved to reveal richly modelled designs, the medium allowed for remarkable depth and sculptural effect. A rarer variant employs an ochre or honey-toned ground in contrast to the red carving, creating a refined polychrome interplay.
Peony scrolls rank among the most favoured decorative motifs in Ming carved lacquer, symbolising wealth and prosperity. Here, the petals are rendered with rounded tools in deeply layered relief, while the leaves and tendrils are articulated with finer incisions, producing a dynamic interplay of volume and line.
The present box is further distinguished by its rare mark, Wanli nian Baosu zhi (“made by Baosu during the Wanli period”). The sobriquet Baosu is associated with Cao Guang (1566–1645), a prominent late Ming official, styled Yongwei, a native of Yidu in Shandong. He obtained the jinshi degree in 1601 and rose to serve as Minister of Works during the Chongzhen reign, later receiving the honorary title of Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent; his biography is recorded in the Ming shi.
The association of a literati sobriquet with a lacquer object accords with broader developments in late Ming material culture. In the prosperous Jiangnan region, lacquerwares increasingly transcended utilitarian function to become objects of connoisseurship and display. Scholar-officials are known to have participated in the design of works of art or commissioned bespoke pieces from leading workshops. As a high-ranking official of considerable means, Cao Guang would have been well placed to commission lacquer wares bearing his sobriquet.
Peony scrolls rank among the most favoured decorative motifs in Ming carved lacquer, symbolising wealth and prosperity. Here, the petals are rendered with rounded tools in deeply layered relief, while the leaves and tendrils are articulated with finer incisions, producing a dynamic interplay of volume and line.
The present box is further distinguished by its rare mark, Wanli nian Baosu zhi (“made by Baosu during the Wanli period”). The sobriquet Baosu is associated with Cao Guang (1566–1645), a prominent late Ming official, styled Yongwei, a native of Yidu in Shandong. He obtained the jinshi degree in 1601 and rose to serve as Minister of Works during the Chongzhen reign, later receiving the honorary title of Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent; his biography is recorded in the Ming shi.
The association of a literati sobriquet with a lacquer object accords with broader developments in late Ming material culture. In the prosperous Jiangnan region, lacquerwares increasingly transcended utilitarian function to become objects of connoisseurship and display. Scholar-officials are known to have participated in the design of works of art or commissioned bespoke pieces from leading workshops. As a high-ranking official of considerable means, Cao Guang would have been well placed to commission lacquer wares bearing his sobriquet.