Box with gardenia, plum blossoms, and finches
Not on view
The technique of combining fine basketry weaving with Chinese lacquer first appeared in the late sixteenth century. Basketry panels were installed on the sides of lacquer containers that were used to present gifts and important documents. The colorful painting of birds and flowers on this cover probably came from a pattern book, as multiblock color printing became popular in southern China in the same period.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.