Scholars Writing Box

REPUBLIC PERIOD (1912 to 1949)

A SUPERB TIXI (GURI) SCHOLARS LACQUER WRITING BOX

The writing box of rectangular shape.
The cover carved with a central motif surrounded by Buddhist influenced scrolling.
The sides of the cover and box carved accordingly.
The whole sitting on four raised rounded feet

Formerly the property of a Japanese collector

Condition: Very good, There are minor touch ups done in the past.

Refer Large Images for details, quality and condition, they also form the description.
Depending on your computer monitor / phone / etc colour may vary to actual.

Dimensions are maximum measurements

Length About 25.2 cm.
Width About 20.2m.
Height About 6.8 cm

A$950

Writing boxes normally held the calligraphy brushes, ink sticks, water dropper and other writing utensils of the scholar.

The style of carving into thick lacquer is first seen in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127 to 1279), following the development of techniques for making very thick lacquer. There is some evidence from literary sources that it had existed in the late Tang. The style of decoration used is known as guri (屈輪) in Japanese. This style uses a family of repeated two-branched scrolling shapes cut with a rounded profile at the surface, but below that a "V" section through layers of lacquer in different colours such as black and red, sometimes yellow, giving a "marbled" effect from the contrasted colours; this technique is called tìxī (剔犀) in Chinese. This style continued to be used up to the Ming dynasty.