A CARVED CINNABAR LACQUER 'ORCHID PAVILION' BOX AND COVER
Qianlong Of circular form, the cover carved with a landscape scene depicting the scholar Wang Xizhi seated in a terraced building and five other figures on the riverbank, with the cups and saucers floating downstream with the river's current, surrounded by rocks, groves of bamboo, and Chinese parasol trees, the straight sides carved with scrolling lotus flowers and leaves, the base and interior lacquered in black. 17.8cm (7in) diam. (2).
清乾隆 剔紅曲水流觴蓋盒
Provenance: Dr Emil Hultmark (1872-1943), Stockholm, and thence by descent
來源： Emil Hultmark博士(1872-1943)，斯德哥爾摩，並由後人保存迄今
Emil Hultmark was an art historian, collector, donor and patron of the arts. He combined important work as an art historian not only with the creation of one of the largest and most remarkable private art collections in Sweden, but also with the construction of an archive of Swedish artists and art craftsmen unparalleled in its extent, together with a library containing almost all that has been written about Swedish art. He loaned to the seminal International Exhibition of Chinese Art, Royal Academy, London, 1935-1936, no less than five objects, Catalogue nos.140, 1872, 1949, 2983 and 2985.
The scene depicted in the present lot illustrates the 'Winding Stream Party' (曲水流觴 qushui liushang), where participants gathered along a meandering stream to compose poetry as cups of wine floated downstream to them. This literary gathering is closely associated with Wang Xizhi (王羲之), the Sage of Calligraphy, and his celebrated work 'Preface to the Orchid Pavilion' (蘭亭集序 lanting jixu). The seated figure in the terraced building is Wang Xizhi.
In the ninth year of the Yonghe period (353 CE), Wang Xizhi and a group of literati assembled at the Orchid Pavilion on Mount Kuaiji (modern-day Shaoxing, Zhejiang) for an elegant gathering. By the end of the gathering, twenty-six literati had composed thirty-seven poems, inspiring Wang Xizhi to write the preface, which has since been revered as the best calligraphic work in running script. For a comparable depiction of this scene, see a similar lacquer box and cover, Qianlong, featuring a 'Winding Stream Party', illustrated in Carving the Subtle Radiance of Colours: Treasured Lacquerware in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2008, p.125, pl.116.
See also a related carved cinnabar lacquer circular box and cover, Qianlong, which was sold at Christie's Hong Kong, 28 May 2014, lot 3335.
For information and estimates on domestic and international shipping as well as export licences please contact Bonhams Shipping Department.
Buyers' Obligations
ALL BIDDERS MUST AGREE THAT THEY HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD BONHAMS' CONDITIONS OF SALE AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THEM, AND AGREE TO PAY THE BUYER'S PREMIUM AND ANY OTHER CHARGES MENTIONED IN THE NOTICE TO BIDDERS. THIS AFFECTS THE BIDDERS LEGAL RIGHTS.
If you have any questions about the Conditions of Sale, please contact your nearest client services team.
Buyers' Premium and Charges
For all Sales categories, buyer's premium excluding Cars, Motorbikes, Wine, Whisky and Coin & Medal sales, will be as follows:
Buyer's Premium Rates
28% on the first £40,000 of the hammer price;
27% of the hammer price of amounts in excess of £40,000 up to and including £800,000;
21% of the hammer price of amounts in excess of £800,000 up to and including £4,500,000;
and 14.5% of the hammer price of any amounts in excess of £4,500,000.
A 3rd party bidding platform fee of 4% of the Hammer Price for Buyers using the following bidding platforms will be added to the invoices of successful Buyers for auctions starting on or after 6th July 2024 – Invaluable; Live Auctioneers; The Saleroom; Lot-tissimo.
VAT at the current rate of 20% will be added to the Buyer's Premium and charges excluding Artists Resale Right.
Payment Notices
For payment information please refer to the sale catalog.
Shipping Notices
For information and estimates on domestic and international shipping as well as export licenses please contact Bonhams Shipping Department.
