A round covered box decorated with a carved dragon on the top.

Covered Incense Box with Carved Dragons Chasing Pearls Among Clouds Motif

China

Qing dynasty (1644-1912), About 1750

  • Titles Covered Incense Box with Carved Dragons Chasing Pearls Among Clouds Motif (Descriptive)
  • Artist China
  • Medium lacquer
  • Dimensions 3 x 6 in. Diam. (7.6 x 15.2 cm)
  • Credit Line Collection of the Art Fund, Inc. at the Birmingham Museum of Art; Bequest of William M. Spencer III, AFI.221.2010a-b
  • Work Type box with cover
  • Classification Containers
  • On View

See More of the Collection

Narrow-Neck, Wide-Mouth Celadon Bottle brown hue over green glaze.
Shou Lao with his attendant and walks along a path under a tree with red blossoms at left. Two boats paddle on the waters. A four-storied pagoda is in the upper right corner and other buildings populate the coastline. Blue-green rocks and mountains comprise the landscape. The basket-weave sides display an endless wan (swastika) key multiplying auspicious sentiments 1,000 times. "Boxes with basketry panels were used for presentation of gifts and documents and for storge of various items during the late Ming. ... In the 17th century the round-shouldered box was gradually replaced by straight-sided ones." from "Chienese Decorative Arts: The Metropolitain Museum of Art"
Fish-shaped water dropper, light celadon green. Lightweight, clean, probably 20th century
Eishi (A Court Guard), from Momoyogusa (A World of Things), Volume 2, Kamisaka Sekka, ink and color on paper