Carved lacquer food box with scene of the Moon Palace

Object Details

• Artist

  Wang Ming (late 15th century)

• Label

  The box depicts a scene of the Moon Palace and its denizens gathered together for a festive occasion. Three main characters include the female immortal Chang'e, who stands at the top of the palace stairs with entertainers gathered around her in the courtyard. Nearby are two other well-known inhabitants of the moon: a rabbit, who stands upright on a table mixing the magic elixir of immortality, and on the left edge of the box, a three-legged toad appears at the base of a tree. This box belongs to a small group of lacquer wares that are signed by the artisan, Wang Ming, whose signature is incised on one of the columns of the Moon Palace. Figures and floral bands decorate the sides of the box.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Looking Out, Looking In: Art in Late Imperial China (October 14, 2017 - ongoing)

  Tales of the Brush: Chinese Painting with Literary Themes (February 9 to July 27, 2008)

  Virtue and Entertainment: Chinese Music in the Visual Arts (October 1, 2005 to May 29, 2006)

  Palaces and Pavilions: Grand Architecture in Chinese Painting (September 29, 2002 to March 30, 2003)

  Chinese Art (May 9 to November 29, 1993)

  On Becoming Immortal (May 9, 1993 to August 15, 1994)

  Japanese and Chinese Lacquer (September 22, 1982 to June 30, 1983)

  Ming Dynasty Paintings (December 4, 1978 to June 14, 1979)

  Chinese Album Leaves and Lacquer (February 22, 1971 to November 22, 1971)

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Container

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1500s, 1400s

• Name

  Wang, Ming

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Rabbits, Bells, Art, Daoism, Chinese Art, Toads, Flowers, Hongzhi reign (1488 - 1505), Pipa, Pavilion, Chang'e, Festivals, Animals, Qin, Lacquer, Immortality, Phoenix, Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644), Food

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Containers