A PAIR OF RARE CHINESE IMPERIAL SILVER GILT FILIGREE ‘DRAGON’ MALLOW-FORM BOXES AND COVERS

A PAIR OF RARE CHINESE IMPERIAL SILVER GILT FILIGREE ‘DRAGON’ MALLOW-FORM BOXES AND COVERS
QIANLONG 1736-95

The covers exquisitely decorated with pairs of sinuous dragons contesting flaming pearls of virtue within circular borders, surrounded by bands of miscellaneous treasures, each within a cartouche, the sloping sides of the covers with floral sprays, all set against a dense openwork scroll ground of fine silver filigree, and further scrollwork to the vertical sides and to the underside of the bases, each raised on a splayed foot, 544g, 12cm. (4)

Provenance: an English private collection, Surrey, UK; sold on behalf of Parkinson's UK.

A near identical, but larger example in the Palace Museum, Beijing, is illustrated in Beijing Wenwu Jingpin, no.157. Another example from the Qing Court collection is exhibited in A Garland of Treasures, Masterpieces of Precious Crafts in the Museum Collection, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2014, cat.no. II-68. See also Christie’s, Hong Kong, 30th November 2011, lot 3092, for another box of this design.

清乾隆 御製鎏金銀纍絲趕珠龍紋葵花式蓋盒 一對
來源：英國薩里郡私人收藏，成交金額將全數捐贈英國帕金森基金會。