Valuable and original Chinese toiletry box, made of wood, then covered with the technique and art of lacquering, inside there are several compartments, a very large central one and two other small side ones with hinged lids, under the box there is a convenient drawer, in the inner part of the central lid was placed a mirror that completes the extreme versatility and usefulness of the box. The upper part of the box represents a pleasant and graceful landscape of the Chinese countryside with typical plants and shrubs; in the centre, in relief, is the silhouette of a rattan basket bearer wearing the "sugegasa", the traditional cone-shaped hat of Chinese peasants, all decorated by hand with bright colours by a skilled artist and painter who has performed the representation with meticulousness and skill, taking care of the entire work in detail. This rare box was made entirely by hand between 1949 and 1951 in a workshop in the city of Changsha in Hunan, one of the most important lacquer production centres in China. The art of lacquer making is typical of the Far East, and of China in particular, where already in very ancient times the possibility of using the precious resin produced by the tree called the lacquer tree, Rhus vernicifera, was discovered. Its complex process requires a lot of time and meticulous care, but in the end it is possible to obtain artefacts of great beauty and extraordinary perfection. The technique and art of lacquer, along with silk and porcelain, constitute one of China's greatest contributions to universal art. For twenty-five centuries, lacquers in China were considered artistic and luxury items. They were made after a long series of slow, meticulous and complicated operations, involving, one after the other, a dozen craftsmen and artists. The objects, usually made of wood, are carefully prepared for lacquering with a layer of very fine paper, then left to dry and carefully sanded with pumice, and finally covered with several layers of lacquer and left to dry slowly in a damp, dark environment, protected from dust, then carefully sanded. The object thus patiently prepared is finally ready for the final operation of decoration; this can be done with a brush, using the same lacquer with added coloured pigments. Our box, made with all these unique and ancient techniques that have remained unchanged over the centuries to this day, is an example of exquisite beauty and superb quality. The box is in good condition, there are a few imperfections inside, the condition of the paint is excellent. Measures length cm34, depth cm.21, height cm.10.
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SILVER Seller in Prato, Italy
