Box, carved tortoiseshell, Guangzhou, China, Qing dynasty, Daoguang reign period (1821-1850), ca. 1820-1840

Tortoiseshell box, oblong shape, fitted with a lock on the outside and a tray and fittings inside, carved all over the exterior with figures and landscapes in relief.

Purchased from a source not recorded in the Asia Department registers, accessioned in 1877. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project.
This box, fitted with a lock and probably meant as a jewellery box, features an intricate and complex design which is typical of the early 19th century. To carve tortoiseshell is very similar to carving ivory, and this box was probably manufactured by the same workshop in Canton which produced carved ivory objects.;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

This box is fitted with a lock and was probably meant to serve as a jewellery box. It features an intricate and complex design that is typical of the early 19th century. To carve tortoiseshell is very similar to carving ivory, and this box was probably manufactured by the same workshop in Canton that produced carved ivory objects.

636:1 to 40-1877