Extremely rare Chinese archaeological lacquered wood votive - Lot 406

Extremely rare Chinese archaeological lacquered wood votive box and cup. As is. Han Dynasty (-206 B.C. to 220 A.D.). Box with lid 20x9cm Cup 19x16cm. These ritual objects, contained in funerary tombs, had an enormous moisture content. When exposed to the open air, dehydration causes visible degradation within months or years, as can be seen in the greatest museums devoted to Asian art. It is extremely rare to find this type of piece in its original condition. These pieces have been exhibited on several occasions, notably in 2015 at the Musée d'Histoire de la Médecine in Paris, as part of the exhibition "À la Vie, à la Mort", objets et rites de protection dans la Chine ancienne. Objects, most of them "scholarly", from the former Yelena X... collection, resident in Hong Kong before the Second World War.