red with brown interior and bottom; carved with leaf and flower design around edges of box and cover; two figures on a balcony overlooking rocks, trees and clouds on cover; six characters lightly incised on bottom

Circular Box, 1403-1427

Unknown artist, expand_more

The court wares of the early fifteenth century are generally considered amongst the finest of all Chinese carved lacquer. This well-crafted circular box bears the six-character imperial reign mark of the Yongle (1403-1424) emperor on its base. Fine craftsmanship was always stressed in imperial ware. The base coatings alone could consist of over 100 layers of polished lacquer allowing for the deeply carved motifs with soft contours and rounded edges typical of the style. The landscape scene on this box was derived from the prestigious painted landscape tradition, a tradition where philosophical themes such as humanity’s relationship to nature took precedence over the purely decorative motifs like flowers or geometric patterns.

Details
Title
Circular Box
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2007.40a,b
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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red with brown interior and bottom; carved with leaf and flower design around edges of box and cover; two figures on a balcony overlooking rocks, trees and clouds on cover; six characters lightly incised on bottom