A RARE BLACK AND GILT-LACQUER DECORATED GUQIN-SHAPED BOX AND COVERLate 16th/early 17th century The box in the form of a Zhong Ni style guqin zither with thirteen mother-of-pearl-inlaid hui or harmonic markers, the cover at the bridge of the musical instrument, the underside with slightly raised goose-feet and peg protectors, the dragon pool sound-box inscribed in gold with a Wanli mark which is possibly of the period, the phoenix pond inscribed with the name of the instrument Yang Qi ('Raising Majesty'), Japanese wood box and cover. 23.7cm (9 1/4in) long. (4). 十六世紀晚期/十七世紀早期 黑漆琴式香盒 「大明萬曆年製」或後加、「仰岐」楷書款或後加 The guqin was traditionally seen as one of the four scholarly aplishments along with calligraphy, painting and chess. Guqin shaped paper weights and wrist-rests for scholarly pursuits are not umon, but boxes are more unusual. In his treatise Zhang Wu Zhi ('A Treatise on Superfluous Things'), Wen Zhenheng (1585-1645) supplies a clue to the purpose of this skilfully crafted container. In a section on what he calls book weights, he closes with thement: 'then there are some which are hollow, in which knives and hole-punchers (sharp pointed instruments for piercing holes in book-binding) are kept.' The present lot may also have been used to keep incense.