A CHINESE THREE-COLOUR CINNABAR LACQUER PEACH-SHAPED BOX AND COVER

QIANLONG 1736-95

The cover carved with Cao Guo Jiu holding yun yang boards, the Immortal standing on a hexagonal diaper path beside a river and underneath a wutong tree, with distant mountains and rockwork behind him, all encircled by eight peaches carved in pairs between five bats in flight against a multi-level ground of prunus and leaves, the box decorated with the same design, 12.3cm. (2)

The image of five bats, wufu, represents the Five Blessings of health, wealth, longevity, virtue and the wish for a peaceful death.

Provenance: previously from a French private collection.

Cf. J Ayers, Chinese and Japanese Works of Art in the Collection of Her Majesty The Queen, vol.III, pp.866-867 no.1992, for a pair of peach-shaped boxes and covers with comparable decoration.