AN IMPORTANT AND VERY RARE INLAID MOTHER-OF-PEARL RECTANGULA...

AN IMPORTANT AND VERY RARE INLAID MOTHER-OF-PEARL RECTANGULAR STATIONERY BOX AND COVER
AN IMPORTANT AND VERY RARE INLAID MOTHER-OF-PEARL RECTANGULAR STATIONERY BOX AND COVER YUAN DYNASTY (1279-1368) The gently curved upper surface of the cover finely inlaid with mother-of-pearl to depict a landscape scene with two scholars on horseback riding toward a gathering of figures on a garden terrace, detailed with trees growing beside a dwelling, one balustrade inscribed with the characters, Luodian Jiang Yin Junhua , '(Made) by the mother-of-pearl craftsman Yin Junhua', within a bracket-lobed cartouche reserved on a brocade-ground and outlined with an inlay of double-lines of rope-twist metalwork, the longer vertical sides similarly rendered with ladies at leisure in a garden landscape, one of the shorter vertical sides with a carp emerging out of crested waves against tall mountains in the background within a double-outlined ruyi -shaped cartouche, repeated on the other side with a crane in flight tied with beribboned scrolls amidst ruyi clouds; the cover is inserted into a box with straight sides, lacquered in vermilion, the interior accommodating an undecorated fitted dark brown lacquer tray, supported on a protruding base decorated with mother-of-pearl florettes 11 7/16 in. (29 cm.) long, Japanese wood box