bavarikon4UNotice
This object originates from colonial contexts and demands an examination of colonial history. bavarikon is displaying this object in order to enable and promote, among other things, a critical, sensitive examination of colonial history. As the operator of bavarikon, the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (Bavarian State Library) would like to point out that the acquisition of the object by the acquiring or holding institution or its predecessors or by persons may have been unethical or unlawful by contemporary standards.
Description
The red carved lacquer lidded box was made in China in the early 15th century, during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
Its wooden core has been coated with numerous layers of wafer-thin red lacquer. The decoration was created in two levels of carving. Two scaled dragons can be seen on the lid. They are surrounded by clouds in the shape of Ruyi and are chasing the flaming Buddhist wish jewel, which symbolises purity and promises good luck. In China, the dragon was the symbol of the emperor and embodied masculine natural power. Two dragons symbolised the imperial couple. The walls of the lid and the box are decorated with clouds all around. The inside and the bottom of the box are coated with black lacquer. The narrow base rim of the box is painted red. On the underside of the box, a six-character mark is carved vertically on the left edge: 大明永樂年製 (Da Ming Yongle nian zhi), which translates as "Made in the Yongle period of the Great Ming [dynasty]". The imperial incised mark corresponds to the reserved incised style in regular script (kaishu). Carving lacquers of the Yongle period were not yet consistently marked.
The lidded box represents a rare and valuable object. The decoration and the extraordinary quality in the execution as well as the extremely precise carving style correspond to the important carving lacquers of the early 15th century. They suggest that the box was made in an imperial workshop in Beijing.