This round box is an amazingly intricate and refined object. It has a flat top and bottom as well as gently sloped slides. The large character on the lid means βspring,β a metaphor for eternal youth. Placed over the character is a circle containing a long-bearded old man accompanied by a deer. No, he is not a Chinese Santa. He is the God of Longevitylong life.. The deer, one of his attributes, is a symbola shape or design that is recognizable and has a meaning associated with it. of long life and prosperitythe state of being wealthy or successful.. Bands of colored light shine from the dish below. The dish is filled with symbolic treasures, including coins, coral, and the endless knot of longevity. Two auspicioussuccessful or prosperous; a sign of future success dragons flank the central character. They are surrounded by stylized clouds. Taken together, these design elements convey the message βMay you be forever young!β
Layers of red, green, and yellow lacquerthe sap of the lacquer tree used to layer upon wood or other materials. cover the surface of the box. Lacquer is a resin obtained from the sap of a type of tree that grows in northern Asia, including China. Objects covered with lacquer from as early as 1300 BCE have been found in China. Carved lacquer, a uniquely Chinese achievement in lacquer art, flourished from the thirteenth to the fifteenth centuries. After the fall of the Ming dynastya series of rulers from a single family. (1368β1644), carved lacquer declined until a revival during the Yongzheng(yong jung) reign (1722β35) of the Qing dynastythe last imperial dynasty of China, 1644β1911. (1644β1911). Skill and interest in carved lacquer reached a new peak during the Qianlong(chee-en-long) period (1736β95).
The lacquer on this box is nearly a quarter of an inch thick in some places and thinner in other places. However, all the work required building up the lacquer in multiple layers and possibly even a hundred layers where itβs thickest. Before applying a new layer of lacquer, the previous one must be completely dry and polished smooth. It must have been incredibly time consuming and expensive to make this box, the design of which, with its bright colors and three-dimensional imagery, is exceptionally vibrant.
The design of this box originated under the patronage of the Ming dynastya series of rulers from a single family. Jiajing(jee-ah-jing) emperor (reigned 1522β66). About two centuries later, the Qianlong(chee-en-long) emperor ordered his artisans to copy the design and make boxes for presenting food or other ceremonial gifts on birthdays or the Chinese New Year. The Qianlong palace commissioned a number of boxes of different sizes and shapes with the same design, but the unusually large size (nearly 17.5 inch diameter) and high quality of this box may suggest that it may have been used by the emperor, or given by him to someone he highly valued.
- Look carefully at this object. What do you notice about it at first glance? Does it remind you of anything you have seen before?
- Research Chinese celebrations of the Lunar New Yeara festival celebrated in China and other Asian countries that begins with the first new moon of a lunar calendar., or Spring Festival. What are the most important elements of this holiday? How do you think this box may have been used in a celebration?
- Write a story involving this box. Who might have owned it and what might it have contained?