Chinese Qing Dynasty Blue and White Box

$120.05

A very fine Qing Dynasty blue and white ceramic box featuring good condition with original lids.  The box features a decorated surface in blue pigment, with much of the original glaze intact. The decorative motive includes a stylised dragon, foliage scrolls and a border of meanders. The dragon is one of the most recognisable symbols associated with Chinese culture, being a metaphor of power, strength and good fortune. The box features Chinese characters scored into its lid naming the owner of the trinkets which would have been kept inside. The box has some cracks which have been repaired.

 

 

Date: Circa 1644-1912 AD
Period: Qing Dynasty
Condition: Good condition, please see individual descriptions for details.

SOLD

Porcelain boxes, such as these fine examples, would have been not only used as everyday containers, but also placed as grave goods with the deceased. Blue and white porcelain is one of the most emblematic productions of Chinese art, reaching its apex with the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty. Blue and white porcelain was created by painting designs with the distinctive cobalt-oxide mixture under the glaze. Cobalt ores were imported from Persia, and were considered precious ingredients at the time, used only in limited quantities. Cobalt ores were ground into a pigment, which were painted directly onto the smooth porcelain body. The piece was then glazed and fired. When fired in the kiln, the cobalt would have reacted to generate the distinctive bright sapphire blue colour. In Chinese culture the blue colour always held a special and deep meaning. Often linked with the season of spring, blue is associated with growth and advancement.

Weight 299.9 g
Dimensions L 10.6 x W 7.7 x H 4.3 cm
Choice of item

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Culture

Pottery and Porcelain

Region

Reference: For a similar item, The British Museum, item 1994,1007.1