A MOTHER OF PEARL-INLAID LACQUER TRAY, KANGXI PERIOD China, 1662-1722. Of rectangular form, decorated to the interior with a vertical panel enclosing a palace amid scrolling clouds above officials and dignitaries with attendants below, all reserved against a leiwen ground, the sides with six red-lacquered basket-weave cartouches against a floral diaper ground.

Provenance: From a noted Dutch private collector.
Condition: Superb and original condition, approximately 98% of the innumerable inlays are preserved, few small losses, natural age cracks.

Weight: 229.5 g
Dimensions: Length 44.3 cm, Width 12.5 cm

With an old silk pouch, showing several tears and wear, and a Japanese kiri wood box and cover, showing a split to the cover along with further wear, both dating to the 19h century or earlier, and a Chinese fitted box and cover dating to the 20^th century. (4)
Expert’s note: The mother of pearl segments are extremely thin, neatly incised and meticulously inlaid. When seen in natural sunlight, they perform a staggering array of iridescent rainbow colors.

Auction result comparison: Compare a closely related mother-of-pearl-inlaid lacquer tray, also dated to the Kangxi period, with very similarly shaped cartouches and floral-diapered designs, but lacking the red-lacquered ‘basket-weave’, at Sotheby’s London in Important Chinese Art on 15 May 2019, lot 58, sold for GBP 12,500. 康熙螺鈿人物圖長方盤
中國，1662-1722年。長方形盤，盤中如意形開光内螺鈿鑲嵌宮廷典禮人物圖。方盤邊沿紅色漆籃編織裝飾。

來源：荷蘭知名私人收藏。
品相：精美的原始狀況，大約 98% 的鑲嵌螺鈿被保存下來，小缺損，自然年齡裂縫。

重量：229.5 克
尺寸：長 44.3厘米，款12.5 厘米

配有一個舊的絲綢袋，有幾處破損和磨損；一個日本的木製蓋盒，蓋子有裂縫及磨損；兩樣都是19世紀或更早期的物品。配置一個中國20世紀的蓋盒。(4)

專家注釋：螺鈿極薄，切割整齊，鑲嵌細緻。自然陽光下會呈現出美麗的虹彩。

拍賣結果比較：一件相近螺鈿鑲嵌人物漆方盤，同樣為康熙時期，很相似的花卉紋，但無紅漆地編制紋，見倫敦蘇富比 Important Chinese Art，2019年5月15日 lot 58, 售價GBP 12,500。