A PAIR OF CINNABAR LACQUER TABLE CABINETS Qianlong (2)A PAIR OF CINNABAR LACQUER TABLE CABINETSQianlongThe cabinets each fitted with a large compartment opening to reveal a pair of small drawers, one cabinet with two doors finely carved with landscape scenes depicting a group of scholars gathered on a fenced terrace enjoying a dance performance, the other cabinet decorated with a group of dignitaries gazing at Court ladies in elegant pavilions overlooking luxurious gardens dotted with rocky mountains, wutong and pine trees, all on a intricate diaper ground, each door framed with key-fret and mounted with gilt-metal handles and hinges cast with scrollwork, all above a shallow drawer and raised on four gilt-metal feet. 46.9cm (18 1/2in) high (2).清乾隆 剔紅亭台人物圖小櫃一對Provenance: acquired in Shanghai by the father of the present owner in the 1930's, and thence by descent來源：二十世紀三十年代，由現藏家之父購自上海，並由後人保存迄今The present lot is remarkable for the superb quality of carving, rendering a complex design of Court figures in garden settings 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 and the zenith of lacquer carving achieved during his reign.Table cabinets of this type were made for display on a kang which served as a seat in the day and a bed at night. Compare with a related cinnabar lacquer cabinet, 18th century, carved with figures in landscape scenes, in the National Palace Museum, Taiwan, illustrated in Carving the Subtle Radiance of Colors. Treasured Lacquerware in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 2008, no.172.