Bhutanese Part Gilded Repousse Betel Nut Box

Worn smooth on the upper face; the substantial rectangular 'brick' stamped to the side edges: '大一甲 袁洪德造 da yi jia, Yuan Hongde zao (size of the brick, made by Yuan Hongde) 督造官江南蘇州府知府魁元 (under the supervisor Kui Yuan of Jiangnang, Suzhou) 乾隆十八年成造细料二尺二寸見方金磚 (18th year of Qianlong (1754), square gold brick)'; accompanied by a low wooden table frame. 104.3 kg total, 72 x 72 x 37 cm



with the owner's family since the early 1990s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11916-204597.

Also known as jinzhuan, Golden Bricks are produced from a finite iron-rich soil, crafted by a team of people over a period of 2-3 years, using a process involving 29 distinct procedures. The bricks produce a metallic sound when induced to do so and have an internal structure which is so fine that the pores of the clay can hardly be seen. Historically, golden bricks were reserved for the use of emperors and the construction of their palaces, first appearing during the reign of Emperor Yongle in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), produced in Suzhou under imperial order to be used for paving the floors of the imperial palaces, monasteries and mausoleums in Beijing; they are witnesses to history and embody the wisdom of the ancients.

Group of eight plaques, seven with incised calendrical grid to the obverse and aquatic scene to the reverse with a lobster and reptile and symbols in the field; one with scene of two millipedes to the obverse and reptiles to the reverse. 287 grams total, 12.2-14 cm



Ex central London gallery.

A carinated body on four slender legs, with octagonal neck and octofoil rim, displaying scrolling motifs. 138 grams, 10 cm high



Acquired 1980s-1990s. From the H.N. collection, Milton Keynes, Bedfordshire, UK.