Tiered Box

Decorative, multichambered containers like this four-lobed square box could have held any number of small items, but they were not always put to practical use. Here, the deeply carved cover depicts an elderly scholar holding a scepter followed by a young attendant with a qin zither under his arm. The two are making their way to a terraced pavilion set amongst rocks and pines – a popular subject known as “visiting a recluse”. A full moon is ascendant and the whole scene is set against geometric patterns signifying air (sky) and water. The sides of the cover and compartments are each carved with four flowers: chrysanthemum, peony, camellia, and pomegranate.