SB498: An early 19th Century  fully fitted Chinese export lacquer combined sewing and writing box of rectangular form opening to a fully fitted sewing tray with turned and carved ivory tools and having a drawer fitted for writing. Circa 1800 

The top of the box depicts figures and animals in a characteristically Chinese formal garden with pavilions. This is a good image to demonstrate the type of decoration which places the box in the context of its time and culture. The framing of the box is in raised lacquer with symmetrical cartouches in Chinese lines, set in a patterned gold background. This style of patterned rather than pictorial work, suggestive of brocade, was a concession to European taste. Some 18th century boxes are decorated mostly or even entirely in patterns. As the Europeans began to appreciate oriental work and be seduced by the magic of the exquisite gardens and the activities of the exotic people they encountered, they wanted their boxes to reflect their experiences. This desire to capture the Cathay experience resulted in commissioning work with scenes from oriental life. On this box the Chinese scenes are framed in the European taste, pointing to a period late in the 18th, or early in the 19th century.
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