A RARE CARVED CINNABAR LACQUER CABINET Qianlong/JiaqingA RARE CARVED CINNABAR LACQUER CABINETQianlong/JiaqingThe rectangular cabinet with canted shoulders containing two drawers, with two doors opening to reveal a shelf above a wide drawer, rising from a waisted base and tapering foot with shaped edges, all surmounted by a smaller rectangular cabinet with two doors, the doors carved in low relief with a landscape scene with ladies and children within a garden terrace, the drawers each carved with sages and attendants in a mountainous landscape, the top section carved with flowers, the sides with diaper-pattern ground. 50cm (19 3/4in) high.清乾隆/嘉慶 剔紅亭台人物圖小櫃Provenance: an English private collection來源：英國私人收藏The present lot is remarkable not only for its unusual shape, but also for the superb quality of carving, rendering a complex design of various motifs with meticulous attention to detail. The contrasting high and low relief through layers of rich cinnabar lacquer accentuate the three-dimensionality of the decoration, revealing the opulent taste of the Qianlong emperor whose influence was still felt into the Jiaqing reign.The shape is rare, however, another cabinet with one horizontal top compartment, mid Qing dynasty, in the Qing Court Collection is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Lacquer Wares of the Qing Dynasty, Hong Kong, 2006, p.68, no.45.