Cinnabar lacquer box with mother of pearl gaming counters

This large lacquer box is composed of three tiered sections, each of which lifts wholly off the section below. The rich red colour of the lacquer gives the style its name: ‘red cinnabar’, the source of the pigment used to dye the lacquer being the mineral cinnabar. The lacquer is richly carved, the sides featuring abstract foliage and the top a traditional Chinese scene executed in varied relief.

The box contains approximately 1,000 gaming counters, the counters crafted from mother of pearl and bone and taking a variety of shapes.