This piece would have been part of a group of Ming tomb furnishings. It is covered almost entirely with lead green glaze with only the lock plate and handles glazed in amber. It is probably a clothes chest. During the Ming dynasty, the court used such chests to store the hats and robes of officials.The practice of using lead-glazed burial wares had already started during the Han dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE). This glaze technology further developed during the Tang dynasty (618-906) into ‘sancai’ (‘three-colour’) glaze. It included colours such as cream, amber, brown and blue. This glaze tradition continued into the Ming period. The custom of making ‘mingqi’ or burial wares was an ancient one. It is thought that these wares were necessary for the deceased in the next world. They were also a display of wealth and social status.
