Precious Spring Longevity Box
Not on view
The Qianlong emperor commissioned at least eighteen versions of this box. He especially valued the design on the top: a large representation of the character for spring (chun, an allusion to long life), and a small image of Shoulao, the god of longevity. The character and the overflowing bowl below it are set against a background of radiating rainbows. The bowl of treasures motif first appeared in carved lacquer in the sixteenth century; it was incorporated into this more complicated program of imagery during the reign of Qianlong.
Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.
