YOUR NEXT DISCOVERY/ArtifactsFollow your curiosity

China, late Southern Song (1127–1279) to early Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) / c. 1300

Round Box with Bird and Peonies Design

The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Round Box with Bird and Peonies Design as lacquer (China, late Southern Song (1127–1279) to early Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) · c. 1300).

WHY IT’S INTERESTING

Lacquer ware was always a valuable product in Chinese material culture and was often used as precious gifts in diplomatic, religious, and economic exchanges with other countries—Japan, for example, where this box was long preserved and acquired.

SERENDIPITYA little unexpected

FamiliarWeird

A CLOSER LOOK

The museum identifies this lacquer as carved lacquer.

The museum's collection notes: The carved lacquer box and lobed silver container nearby both feature pairs of birds and flowers on their covers. There is a striking similarity in decoration, shape, and aesthetic appeal. Both boxes suggest that successful designs and shapes circulated among craftsmen, workshops, and beyond regional borders.

FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE

The Cleveland Museum of ArtRound Box with Bird and Peonies Design

Original explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.