Minneapolis Institute of Art

Quadrifoil Box, one of a pair

China

Date

1662–1722

Medium

Carved red lacquer (cinnabar)

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

This pair of carved lacquer boxes presents scenes of scholars in landscape settings (top panels), and the eight Buddhist auspicious emblems (sides): the wheel, a conch shell, an umbrella, a canopy, a lotus flower, paired fish, a vase, and an endless knot. Pictorial carved lacquer was perfected during the early Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and remained popular into the 20th century. Beautiful and perfectly executed, covered boxes such as these would have held a variety of small objects in a wealthy household. China, Asia

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