This exceptional Chinese export black lacquer storage box was made in Canton during the early 19th century, in the Qing dynasty, for the Western market. Substantial in scale and richly decorated inside and out, it is an unusually elaborate example of the luxury lacquerware produced in southern China during the height of the China Trade.
The exterior is decorated in gold against a deep black lacquer ground using the Chinese miaojin (描金), or 'painted gold', tradition. Detailed scenes of figures, pavilions, gardens and bustling Chinese town life extend across the stepped lid and sides, surrounded by finely worked floral and geometric borders.
The most remarkable feature is hidden inside. Beneath the outer lacquer lid is a large, single metal-lined compartment covered by a hinged inner panel. The reverse of this panel is decorated with an extraordinary mixed-media scene depicting figures amongst the gardens, courtyards and buildings of a grand Chinese residence. Tiny pieces of painted mother-of-pearl are used for the figures' faces, while applied textiles form elements of their clothing, combined with finely painted details. This unusual use of shell, fabric and painting gives the scene wonderful depth and makes the interior particularly distinctive.
The fittings provide another fascinating link between Canton and Georgian Britain. The box retains a British patent lock stamped 'PATENT' with three crowned marks, together with brass swan-neck drop handles in the Georgian style. British locks and metal fittings were exported to China and are known to have been incorporated into Chinese-made furniture intended for Western customers, allowing Cantonese workshops to combine Chinese materials and decorative techniques with forms and hardware familiar to their European clientele.
Patent locks were an important development in British lockmaking during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, as makers developed increasingly sophisticated and secure mechanisms protected by patent. The crowned PATENT markings on this example are characteristic of Georgian patent-lock hardware. No maker's name is visible, so we have deliberately not attributed the lock to a particular manufacturer, but its presence provides a particularly tangible reminder of the two-way exchange of materials, craftsmanship and design that characterised the Canton export trade.
The precise original purpose of the box remains uncertain but this style of large cavity box was unlikely to have been a tea caddy. The combination of its unusual construction, elaborate lacquer decoration, British fittings and remarkable mixed-media interior makes it an exceptionally rare survival.
Chinese export lacquer of this period is inherently fragile and surviving examples frequently show wear and losses after almost two centuries of use. This piece has been carefully restored in our UK workshop, and the original lacquer has been stabilised and preserved.
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Origin: Canton (Guangzhou), China
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Date: Early 19th century, Qing dynasty
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Materials: Wood, black lacquer, gold decoration, metal lining, brass fittings, painted decoration, mother-of-pearl and textile
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Decoration: Figural, architectural and garden scenes in gold miaojin decoration against a black lacquer ground
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Interior: Large single metal-lined compartment with a hinged inner cover decorated with a rare mixed-media figural scene incorporating mother-of-pearl and applied textiles
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Fittings: British patent lock stamped 'PATENT' with three crowned marks and Georgian-style brass swan-neck drop handles
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Condition: Good antique condition with age-related wear and losses to the lacquer and gold decoration. Restored in our UK workshops.
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Dimensions: W36 x D25 x H22 cm
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Weight: 6 kg
