Chinese Wedding Basket from South China - ca 1920

This elegant black lacquer wedding basket would traditionally have been filled with dried fruit, sweets and nuts and presented to the bride and groom as part of the wedding celebrations.

The shallow circular basket has a fitted, stepped lid and is finished in black lacquer with contrasting red and gilt detailing around the raised edges. The interior retains its rich red lacquer, creating a striking contrast when the lid is removed.

Years of use have softened the lacquer and gilt decoration, giving the basket an attractive patina. Today it makes a beautiful decorative object as well as a practical box for storing small items.