清末民初 居仁堂製款 粉彩百花不落地紋圓蓋盒 the domed cover painted with a leaf-form cartouche containing flowers borne on leafy branches issuing from the ground, all against a millefleur ground, sides of the box similarly decorated, the base inscribed with a four-character 'Ju Ren Tang Zhi' mark in iron-red against a turquoise ground (11cm diameter) Qty: (1) Provenance: Private English collection, London Note: The 'Juren Tang' hall mark, which means the 'Hall of Dwelling in Benevolence', refers to the hall that Yuan Shikai (1859-1916) moved into in 1912 after becoming the first president of China. It is located in Zhongnan Hai, in the former imperial garden in the Imperial city, Beijing. In 1915, it was in this hall that he declared himself Emperor. Compare to a similar famille rose 'millefleur' circular box and cover, without the cartouche on the cover, also inscribed with the same hall mark on the base, in the Percival David Foundation, in the British Museum, museum no. PDF.835