Box; China, Canton, Qing dynasty, c. 1900.

Box; China, Canton, Qing dynasty, c. 1900.
Lacquered wood.
Has losses in the lacquer and the hinges are later.
Measurements: 11 x 32 x 21 cm.
Box made of lacquered wood with a variegated ornamentation that extends over the entire surface. The work combines scenes of daily life with geometric and stylized vegetal elements. The Ching or Qing Dynasty, also known as the Manchu Dynasty, was the last of the Chinese imperial dynasties. Founded in the current northeast of the country by the Manchu clan in 1644, its rule ended with the abdication of the last Emperor in 1912 by the Xinhai Revolution and the establishment of the Republic of China, keeping the capital in Beijing during all this time. In general, traditional art forms flourished in many different and varied levels and formats, thanks to a highly educated upper class, a thriving publishing industry of books, pamphlets, etc., really prosperous cities, and the Confucian emphasis on cultivating the mind. While the Emperors themselves were, on many occasions, outstanding artists (especially in painting), the best work was done by schoolchildren and the urban elite in calligraphy and painting, both areas of great interest to the court. Even cuisine was elevated as a cultural pride in this period, picking up elements from the past and working on them to reach new heights.