A cinnabar lacquer box


Late Qing/Republic periodOf square form with convex recesses at the center of each side, the cover showing a boat with a scholar listening to the flute played by his servant while a beauty sits on a shoreline, the side walls of the lid and box showing eight ribbon-tied Buddhist symbols, all against a variety of intricately worked diaper backgrounds, the interior surfaces and the base finished in black lacquer (chips, age cracks).3 5/8 x 10 1/4in square (9.3 x 26cm square)