This box is made in imitation of two ribbon-tied scrolls set atop two albums of paintings which conceal the two compartments within. The black lacquer has been delicately inlaid in mother-of-pearl and gilt in imitation of brocade coverings. The inlaid design employing small pieces of iridescent blue-green shell, is a very labour intensive technique. It involves the cutting and inlay of thousands of small pieces of shell which are glued to the surface. This is then covered with a thick coat of lacquer which is ground and polished to reveal the decoration. The small fragments have to be carefully selected to produce a uniformly brilliant effect.Lacquer is an important aspect of Chinese decorative arts and lacquer boxes of such designs reveal the aesthetics of the Qing period and the creative ways in which lacquer was used. Packaging of this form was especially admired by the Qianlong emperor (r. 1736-1796).
