Box with scene of a zither (qin) gathering
On the cover of this box, a pair of seated men relax on a veranda that overlooks a body of water. One plays the Chinese zither (qin) while the other listens. A trio of attendants, one inside the nearby pavilion, also enjoy the music. Scenes depicting the cultured lifestyle and artistic skills of the scholarly class became ubiquitous in Chinese painting and decorative arts after the fourteenth century.
Artwork Details
- 明永樂 剔紅高仕撫琴圖漆盒
- Title: Box with scene of a zither (qin) gathering
- Period: Ming dynasty (1368–1644), Yongle period (1403–24)
- Date: 1403–1424
- Culture: China
- Medium: Carved red lacquer
- Dimensions: H. 2 7/8 in. (7.3 cm); Diam. 8 3/4 in. (22.2 cm)
- Classification: Lacquer
- Credit Line: Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, 2015
- Object Number: 2015.500.1.6a, b
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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Accession Number: 2001.584a–c
16th century
Unidentified artist
late 16th century
16th century
mid-15th century
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