A PAIR OF RED AND BLACK LACQUER 'LYCHEE' BOXES AND COVERS, MING DYNASTY China, 1368-1644. Each of circular form, the domed cover deftly carved through layers of black and cinnabar lacquer with fruiting lychee branches over a diapered floral ground, the interiors lacquered black. Note the unusually heavy metal cores of both boxes. (2)

Provenance: British trade.
Condition: Good condition with some wear, small nicks and losses, natural age-related cracks, the interior of one cover with two small repairs and associated touch-ups. Please request a detailed condition report video for more information about the exact location and size of the two small repairs.

Weight: 232.8 g and 226.8 g
Dimensions: Diameter 9.9 cm and 9.8 cm

Boxes such as these are quite rare, because both the cover and the base are intricately decorated with carved designs, and the domed shape of the box is unusual as most circular lacquer boxes decorated with lychee have straight sides.

Literature comparison:
Compare a related domed lychee box and cover and three straight-sided boxes from the Linden Museum, Stuttgart, illustrated by M. Kopplin, Im Zeichen des Drachen, Munster and Stuttgart, 2006, Catalogue, no. 55 and 61.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby's Hong Kong, 4 April 2012, lot 3011
Price: HKD 200,000 or approx. EUR 33,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A carved cinnabar lacquer 'fruit' seal paste box and cover, Ming dynasty, Jiajing period
Expert remark: Compare the related domed form and carving of lychee to both the box and the cover. Note the smaller size (7.7 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's Hong Kong, 29 May 2007, lot 1553
Price: HKD 120,000 or approx. EUR 22,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A finely carved small black and red lacquer incense box and cover, Ming dynasty, 15th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and similar manner of carving through layers of black and red lacquer.



明代一對剔犀荔枝紋蓋盒
中國，1368-1644年。雕刻工藝精湛，內外剔犀。錦地荔枝紋，色調勻稱，漆層晶瑩照人。盒内蓋内黑漆。蓋盒很重，顯然為金屬胎。

來源：英國古玩交易。
品相：狀況良好，有一些磨損、小劃痕和缺損、年代裂縫、一個蓋子的內部有兩個小修。 請索取詳細的狀況報告視頻，以獲取有關兩次小修的確切位置和大小信息。

重量：分別為232.8 克與226.8 克
尺寸：直徑分別為9.9 厘米與9.8 厘米

文獻比較：
比較一件相近拱形荔枝盒和蓋子以及三個直邊盒，收藏於斯圖亞特Linden博物館，見M. Kopplin，《Im Zeichen des Drachen》，明斯特和斯圖亞特，2006年，圖錄編號55和61。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：相近
拍賣：香港蘇富比，2012年4月4月，lot 3011
價格：HKD 200,000（相當於今日EUR 33,000）
描述：明嘉靖剔紅荔枝紋印泥蓋盒
專家評論：比較相近的圓拱外型、盒和盒蓋錦地荔枝紋。 請注意尺寸較小(7.7 厘米)。

拍賣結果比較：
形制：非常相近
拍賣：香港佳士得，2007年5月29日，lot 1553
價格：HKD 120,000（相當於今日EUR 22,500）
描述：十五世紀明代剔犀花紋蓋盒
專家評論：比較非常相近的外型和相似的的紅黑漆雕刻風格。