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Source Description
This precious lacquer box is decorated with bird and plant motifs and figures in mother-of-pearl inlay. The decoration depicts the leisurely pursuit of scholars in nature and a garden setting. Scholars play the board game <em>weiqi</em>, have philosophical conversations, pluck a <em>qin</em> (a zither-like instrument with strings), and read books. <br><br>Lacquer chests of this type were used to store garments neatly folded along their straight seams. The mother-of-pearl inlay from shells is a technique that was typically practiced by craftsmen in Hangzhou and other parts of southeast China near the sea.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
148009
label
Chest for Storing Garments
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
148009
contentType
object
title
Chest for Storing Garments
description
This precious lacquer box is decorated with bird and plant motifs and figures in mother-of-pearl inlay. The decoration depicts the leisurely pursuit of scholars in nature and a garden setting. Scholars play the board game <em>weiqi</em>, have philosophical conversations, pluck a <em>qin</em> (a zither-like instrument with strings), and read books. <br><br>Lacquer chests of this type were used to store garments neatly folded along their straight seams. The mother-of-pearl inlay from shells is a technique that was typically practiced by craftsmen in Hangzhou and other parts of southeast China near the sea.
date
1400s
citation
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79927950
genreSpecific
Lacquer
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 43 x 56 x 54.7 cm (16 15/16 x 22 1/16 x 21 9/16 in.)
cul
China, Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
accession
1975.1
Source extras
tec
lacquered wood with mother-of-pearl inlay
tombstone
Chest for Storing Garments (存放袈裟的箱子), 1400s. China, Ming dynasty (1368–1644). Lacquered wood with mother-of-pearl inlay; overall: 43 x 56 x 54.7 cm (16 15/16 x 22 1/16 x 21 9/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund, 1975.10
titleInOriginalLanguage
存放袈裟的箱子
collection
China - Ming Dynasty
didYouKnow
Lacquer chests of this type were used to store garments.
citations
citation
Lee, Sherman E. "The Year in Review for 1975." <em>The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art</em> 63, no. 2 (1976): pp. 31-71.
page_number
Reproduced: pp. 60, 71, no. 180
citation
“Annual Report for 1975.” <em>The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art</em> 63, no. 6 (June 1976): 154–198.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 154
citation
Guo li gu gong bo wu yuan [National Palace Museum = 國立故宮博物院].<em> Hai wai yi zhen. Qi qi </em>[Chinese art in overseas collections. Lacquerware = 海外遺珎. 漆器]. Taibei Shi Shilin qu Waishuangxi: Guo li gu gong bo wu yuan, 1987.
page_number
Reproduced: pl. 147
citation
"Stories from Storage." <em>The Asian Art Newspaper: Monthly for Collectors, Dealers, Museums and Galleries </em>24, i. 5 (May 2021): 6-7.
page_number
Mentioned and reproduced: p. 6-7
citation
Spee, Clarissa von. “Have a Seat! From Floor Culture to Furniture of Ming and Qing Dynasty China.” <em>Cleveland Art: Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine </em>61, no. 1 (Winter 2021): 14-15.
page_number
Reproduced and Mentioned: p. 14
creditline
Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund
updatedAt
2026-06-18 20:45:38.433000
sourceId
148009
dept
Chinese Art
coll
China - Ming Dynasty
med
lacquered wood with mother-of-pearl inlay
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
4328fea599246a8a