Box with cover

Object Details

• Description

  Box with cover in filled-in and engraved-gold decoration (technique known as qiangjin and tianqi); rectangular with lobed rounded corners; eight slightly recessed panels, one on each side of box and cover; box stands on a low rectangular foot. Brownish lacquer background; diaper pattern with swastika at center painted in red over top and panels; design of two dragons, clouds, rocks and waves on top of cover; prunus, camellias and ornamental rocks on panels; stylized floral scroll on borders; design is painted in red, black and brown; outlines are incised and filled with gold, much of which has worn off; base and interior of the box are red; close, regular pattern of cracks on interior and exterior. The box has deep, vertical cracks on all surfaces.

• Label

  During the 16th century, lacquer ware with "filled-in decoration" was popular. The term refers to two variant techniques used to create colorful designs. In the technique used here, known as "dry filled-in lacquer," the background lacquer is allowed to set firmly and then motifs are cut into it and filled with contrasting colors of lacquer. After drying and polishing, the motifs are embellished by incised outlines that are filled with gold to create a richly worked appearance for the surface of the object.

  The sides of this box have slightly recessed panels painted with designs of rocks and flowering plum and camellia blossoms. The top of the cover is decorated with a pair of five-clawed dragons symmetrically arrayed among clouds over chevronlike rocks and stylized waves, separated from the background diaper pattern by a foliate frame.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

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

  A Decade of Discovery: Selected Acquisitions 1970-1980 (November 9, 1979 to May 22, 1980)

• 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

  1620s, 1570s

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Art, Camellia, Chinese Art, Lacquer, Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644), Plum blossom

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Containers