Asian Art in London
29 October - 7 November 2009
19. A Bamboo Veneer Document Box
18th century
The rectangular box is carved in shallow relief through the bamboo veneer on the top with a rectangular cartouche flanked by two five-clawed writhing dragons amongst scrolling clouds, above a mountain, breaking waves and lingzhi. The sides of the box and cover are decorated with The Eight Daoist Treasures amongst further clouds. The gilt metal clasp is incised with scrolling lotus.
30 cm long; 15.5 cm. wide; 4.5 cm. high
The technique of using bamboo veneer to decorate vessels became fashionable in the 18th century. It is recorded that on his first southern tour the Qianlong emperor saw these pieces and asked that they be sent to the court as tribute. It appears that most bamboo veneer pieces in the palace are dated to the Qianlong reign, so it is possible that the succeeding emperors did not share his fondness for them.
A set of bamboo veneer boxes from the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated by J. Rawson and E. Rawski in China: The Three Emperors 1662–1795, London, 2005, no. 233, p. 304. Compare also the carved cinnabar lacquer album cover with two dragons flaking a cartouche above breaking waves, also in the Palace Museum, illustrated ibid, no. 230, p. 303 (fig. 20).
