Untitled

Unknown

first half of the 17th century · Carved red lacquer with gilded ground · Asian Art

Until recent times, boxes for presenting gifts and documents had been used in China for centuries. In prosperous south China in the early seventeenth century, most of these boxes were of elongated rectangular shape and many were lavishly decorated. The decorations were related to the use of such boxes on various occasions. In the middle of the lid of this example is a scene of a young man drawing a bow to shoot at a target in the form of a screen with a pair of phoenixes, a representation of the betrothal of Lady Dou to Li Yuan, later Emperor Gaozu, the founder of the Tang dynasty. Li Yuan was able to hit the eyes of both phoenixes with two arrows, thus winning the hand of Lady Dou. Above is a young man paying respects to an elder, with a page holding a box containing the young man's present. Below is a felicitation scene of a couple seated at a table being toasted by friends and guests. Between the frames bracketing the scenes are a pair of leaping carps, symbolizing success at the civil-service examinations, and a pair of cranes, connoting longevity.

Artist

Unknown

Date

first half of the 17th century

Medium

Carved red lacquer with gilded ground

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, 2015