each of square section with chamfered corners tapering to a recessed waist, surmounted by a conforming galleried rim, each side intricately carved of pierced archaistic scrollwork, tongue and grooved to a molded frame, with ruyi heads enclosed at each corner, and with flanges of archaistic chilong amid angular scrolls, all between bands of further openwork panels enclosing bats and further ruyi, the reticulated top with elegantly archaistic dragon scrollwork, the frame enclosing four frosted glass panels, wood base (4)

Christie's Hong Kong, 24th-25th October 1993, lot 592.

The lanterns with consolidation to the joinery, minor filled and patch repairs (the largest being an approx. 3 inch vertical patch along the inner frame), and minor replacements (the largest being a section of openwork along the base of one lantern). There are scattered small losses to the openwork decoration and a flake chip to one inner corner. The surface with expected wear, some staining and one side paler than others from sun exposure.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Boldly carved lanterns of this type were made to serve a dual purpose of providing light as well as decorating the imperial palaces. Traditionally made mostly from paper and silk, lanterns were suspended from high ceilings and further embellished with tassels to resemble architectural structures. Largely due to Western influence, Qing dynasty rulers of the 18th century, particularly the Kangxi and Qianlong Emperors, encouraged innovations to the form. Lanterns were made in new materials such as porcelain, gilt-metal and hardwood, which not only boasted rich, reflective surfaces but could be either suspended or placed on a tabletop. At the same time, the quality of glass, largely imported from Europe, improved significantly, making lanterns more effective than ever, brightening rooms in Imperial palaces and homes of the aristocratic elite through the night. Related lanterns are illustrated in situ, such as a pair in the Imperial wedding chamber in the Kunning Gong (Palace of Earthly Repose), illustrated in Wan-go Weng and Yang Boda, The Palace Museum: Peking. Treasures of the Forbidden City, London, 1982, p. 56; and two pairs in the Yangxin Dian (Hall of Mental Cultivation), published in Qingdai gongting shenghuo [Life in the Forbidden City], Hong Kong, 1985, pp 64-65, and 130. See also a closely related pair in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, illustrated in Robert D. Jacobsen with Nicholas Grindley, Classical Chinese Furniture in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis, 1999, pl. 60. A pair of slightly larger lanterns of this type was sold twice at Christie’s Hong Kong, 23rd March 1993, lot 614 and 27th October 2003, lot 809. Another similar pair from the Robert H. Ellsworth Collection sold at Christie's New York, 17th March 2015, lot 52.