Beschreibung:

A rare carved cinnabar lacquer 'Nine Dragons' box and coverQianlong (1736-1795)
The domed cover finely carved with a five-clawed dragon moving around a 'flaming pearl', on a dense ground of tumultuous waves and flames, encircled around the sides by four dragons in profile pursuing other flaming pearls against a continuous wave ground, the base similarly decorated with four further dragons and pearls, all supported on a key-fret foot, the interior and base lacquered black, 28cm (11in) diam.Footnotes清乾隆 剔紅九龍紋蓋盒
Intricately carved with a complex design of nine dynamic dragons striding in pursuit of flaming pearls, the present piece reveals the opulent taste of the Qianlong emperor and the zenith of lacquer carving achieved during his reign. Rendered with ferocious expressions, gaping jaws that reveal sharp fangs, bulbous eyes and flaring nostrils, the muscular dragons thrash through the clouds to create a brilliant scene of intense strength and energy.
Boxes of this quality and carved with this motif were produced at the Lacquer Workshops of the 'Zaobanchu' (Imperial Palace Workshop), located in the Forbidden City.
The nine-dragon motif refers to the nine sons of the dragon, longsheng jiuzi 龍生九子, who are the mythological sons of the Dragon King. This subject matter can be seen as early as the Song dynasty, as painted on the famous ink and colour handscroll titled 'Nine Dragons' attributed to the Southern Song dynasty court painter Chen Rong (1200-1266) in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (accession no.17.1697). Compare with a related example of a cinnabar lacquer 'nine dragon' box and cover, Qianlong and jiulong baohe ('Treasure box of nine dragons') marks and period, illustrated by Lin Mun-lee, Carving the Subtle Radiance of Colors: Treasured Lacquerware in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2008, p.135, no.135.