Artwork Page for Round Box with Bird and Peonies Design

Details / Information for Round Box with Bird and Peonies Design

Round Box with Bird and Peonies Design

雕漆雙綬帶鳥牡丹紋圓盒

c. 1300

China, late Southern Song (1127–1279) to early Yuan dynasty

(1271–1368)
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Medium
carved lacquer
Measurements
Overall: 21 x 40.6 cm (8 1/4 x 16 in.); Lid: 8.5 x 40.6 cm (3 3/8 x 16 in.); Bottom: 12.5 x 40.6 cm (4 15/16 x 16 in.)
Credit Line
Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund 2011.34
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

Lacquer ware was always a valuable product in Chinese material culture and was often used as precious gifts in diplomatic, religious, and economic exchanges with other countries—Japan, for example, where this box was long preserved and acquired.

Description

The carved lacquer box and lobed silver container nearby both feature pairs of birds and flowers on their covers. There is a striking similarity in decoration, shape, and aesthetic appeal. Both boxes suggest that successful designs and shapes circulated among craftsmen, workshops, and beyond regional borders.
A round, dark brown carved lacquer box features a lid meeting its base at a central horizontal line. On the flat top, a bird is nestled amidst blooming peonies. Densely carved scrolling clouds and floral blossoms wrap around the curved sides. A short, circular foot is decorated with a repeating geometric fret pattern. Deep, textured carvings cover the entire exterior, creating a layered effect across the dark, polished surface.

Round Box with Bird and Peonies Design

c. 1300

China, late Southern Song (1127–1279) to early Yuan dynasty (1271–1368)

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