A rare carved cinnabar lacquer 'dragon' cupstand, Mark and period of Qianlong

Expertly carved with sinuous dragons chasing 'flaming pearls', the dynamism and remarkable detail of the present piece reveals the opulent taste of the Qianlong Emperor and the zenith of lacquer carving achieved during his reign. Rendered with animated expressions, striding legs and powerful twisting bodies and tails, the five-clawed dragon is symbolic of the Emperor. The dynamism of the design is heightened by the considerable depth of carving and richness of surface texture, which has been made possible by the thick coat of lacquer that has been built up through the time-consuming process of applying one thin layer at a time. The tremendous skill of the carver can also be appreciated when considering the shape of the vessel and the way in which the craftsman has overcome the challenges presented by the curved surface and acute angles to create an ornate and harmonious design.

Qianlong mark and period cupstands of this complex form are rare. Compare one in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum. Lacquer Wares of the Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong, 2006, pl. 12; and another included in the Special Exhibition of Lacquerware in the National Palace Museum, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1981, cat. no. 47. See also unmarked examples, such as one sold in our London rooms, 21st June 1977, lot 215; and a pair, with their matching bowls, offered at Christie’s Hong Kong, 27th April 1997, lot 19.

The form of this piece can be traced back to silverware of the Tang dynasty, while the petal-like foliations and the slight incurved rim are characteristics of the cupstands made in the Song and Ming dynasties. A plain black lacquer cupstand of a slightly simpler form was discovered in a Northern Song dynasty tomb at Wuhan, illustrated in ‘Wuhanshi shi lipu Bei Song mu chutu qiqi deng wenwu’, Wenwu, 1996, no. 5, pl. 7, fig. 3; and one with a Yongle mark and of the period, carved with phoenix, was included in the Oriental Ceramic Society of Hong Kong exhibition 2000 Years of Chinese Lacquer, Art Gallery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1993, pl. 47.