Manila shawl box. China, second half of the 19th century.

Manila shawl box. China, second half of the 19th century.
Wood lacquered in black and red, with gold decoration. Bronze hardware, lock, and side handles.
It has minor imperfections and signs of wear consistent with its age.
Measurements: 12 × 72 × 67 cm.

This box belongs to a type associated with the Chinese export trade: low, wide, large-format pieces designed to pack and preserve so-called Manila shawls, fabrics originally woven in China and distributed to the West via Asian trade routes.

The lid combines a large red-lacquered field with a central black-and-gold panel featuring a landscape of architecture, figures, and vegetation. Vases, flowers, and other symbolic motifs complete the decoration, framed by a wide black border with landscape scenes rendered in gold. The wavy outline, the side handles, and the abundance of ornamentation reinforce its representational character, consistent with Chinese production for the Western market during the 19th century.