Massive and heavy cast metal box entirely covered in thick carved dark cinnabar lacquer, the inside coated in black lacquer, the inner rim painted in bright red lacquer.. China, ate Ming to earlier Qing dynasty, 17th – 18th century

Carved in deep relief to depict two scholars with their two pupils under a large pine tree in a rocky mountainous landscape, with some foggy clouds in the distance, in a centered medallion on the domed cover, which is surrounded by a meander border. The sides show one border on the cover and the base, each with four rectangular reserves bearing a Chrysanthemum flower surrounded by leaves and tendrils. A second meander border is set around the raised foot rim.

Shape: Round compressed globular form
Dimensions: Diameter 21 cm.
Condition: Original condition with minor age cracks, several smaller and larger chips as well as one major chip to lower rim (length ca. 2 cm).
Provenance: Austrian private collection
Literature comparison: Bonhams, FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART, 4 Jun 2015, Hong Kong, lot 23. (for a similar, yet larger box, dated to the late Ming dynasty) Carving the subtle radiance of colors, treasured lacquerware in the National Palace Museum, Taipeh, lots 74 and 160. (lot 74 for a box with a similar design and style, dated to the 16th/17th century, and lot 160 for another similar box, dated to the 18th century)

十七至十八世紀剔紅雕漆山間文士捧盒
大型厚重金屬胎，剔紅雕漆，盒内黑漆，内邊緣明亮的紅漆
中國，晚明至清楚，十七至十八世紀
捧盒蓋上開光中央雕漆文士偕同他們的學生，站在巨大的松樹之下。山水之
間有繚繞雲霧。周圍一圈雷紋。之下一圈纏枝蓮紋。底足部位一圈雷紋。
形狀：圓形壓縮球形
尺寸：直徑21厘米
與年代相符的小裂縫，大小不一，主要在下邊緣処一條長度約2厘米。
奧地利私人收藏
文獻比較：邦瀚斯，FINE CHINESE CERAMICS AND WORKS OF ART，2015
年6月4日，香港，拍品23號（相似捧盒，更大些，晚明）；Carving the subtle
radiance of colors, treasured lacquerware in the National Palace Museum，
臺北74和160號（74號是一個相似風格的捧盒，十六至十七世紀，160號為另
一個相似捧盒，十八世紀）