53. A very rare Meissen shell-shaped box and cover, circa 1735 The cover painted in enamels and gilding in imitation of Japanese lacquer, with a group of five figures between flowering branches issuing from stylised rockwork and with stylised hills in the distance, the box painted with three sprays of indianische Blumen, 9cm across; 7.5cm deep; 4.3cm high (two very minor restored chips to rim of cover) (2) A closely similar example, one of forty-five toilet boxes of various shapes that were delivered to the Japanese Palace between March and September 1735 (listed in a delivery specification published by C. Boltz, "Königliche Porzellangeschenke an der Krakauer Fürstbischof Lipski in den Jahren 1734 und 1735", Keramos 158 (1997): 33), with the inventory number 339 remains in the porcelain collection, Dresden (PE 616). This box, as well as three others still in Dresden, are published by Boltz, "Königliche Porzellangeschenke" (1997): 35. See also J. Weber, Meißener Porzellane mit Dekoren nach ostasiatischen Vorbildern, vol. II, 2013, cat. no. 316, for a discussion of a toilet box in the Ernst Schneider Collection and the orders of toilet services. The 1770 inventory of the Japanese Palace records "Vierzig Stück Toiletten-Schachteln, von differenter Facon mit Landschafften, Blumen und Pagoden, auch goldnen Rändgen eingefaßt, No. 339" [forty toilet boxes, of different shapes with landscapes, flowers and Pagodas, also edged with gold rims, no. 339], with an addendum that one box was broken by Princess Maria Anna (quoted by C. Boltz, "Japanisches Palais-Inventar 1770 und Turmzimmer-Inventar 1769", Keramos 153 (1996): 35). Another twenty-seven toilet boxes of various shapes and sizes were delivered in 1734, probably part of the order in November 1733 by Augustus III for the decoration of Throne gallery on the upper floor of the Japanese Palace facing the Elbe (Weber, Meißener Porzellane. p. 322. Sixteen of the boxes are listed in the 1770 Japanese Palace inventory under no. 290 (quoted by Boltz. "Japanisches Palais-Inventar" (1996): 31), of which one (with Kakiemon-style decoration) was sold in the 1920 sale of porcelain from the historical collections of Saxony (lot 158). Four others with Japanese Palace inventory numbers 200, 202, 203 and 205 (the relevant pages are missing in the 1770 inventory, see Boltz, "Japanisches Palais-Inventar", p. 26) that were acquired in the mid 19th century by the Imperial Porcelain Collection are now in the Peterhof State Museum, St. Petersburg, published in "Personal Treasure of the Tsars", exhibition catalogue, The Fan Museum, London, n.d., cat. 11. In addition to the box in Dresden, the same scene is depicted on a related Meissen cinquefoil toilet box, cover and stand based on a Japanese lacquer model in the Rijksmuseum (published by A.L. den Blaauwen, Meissen Porcelain in the Rijksmuseum, 2000, cat. no. 188).