China, 1662-1722. Of circular cushion form, supported on a short foot, the domed cover finely decorated in bright enamels with a central roundel enclosing a boy hanging from a lotus vine amid blossoms, a leaf, and foliate scroll, encircled by four shaped panels enclosing alternating sacred pearl and lozenge mirror against a lozenge-diapered ground, above a band of classic scroll below the rim of the box. (2)

Provenance: Aronson Antiquairs, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1993. The property of a Dutch noble family, acquired from the above, and thence by descent. The base with an old label from Aronson Antiquaires. The interior of the rims inscribed in Chinese with old collector's numbers, '91' and '89.'
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear and firing flaws including pitting, few dark spots, minor glaze recesses. Minor fritting and little rubbing to enamels.

Weight: 231.9 g and 236.2 g
Dimensions: Diameter 9.9 cm and 10 cm

Boys were a highly auspicious subject in China, representing wishes relating to fertility. Images of boys with blossoming peonies, such as in the present example, emphasized the wish for family success and for sons to achieve a high social rank by passing the imperial examinations.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Sotheby's New York, 20 March 2018, lot 372
Price: USD 18,750 or approx. EUR 21,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A famille-verte box and cover, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period
Expert remark: Compare the related form and enameled decopration, albeit with different and somewhat more elaborate motifs. Note the size (11.4 cm).