Floral Chinese Jewelry Box in Mother-of-Pearl and Lacquered Wood

Description

A floral Chinese jewelry box in lacquered wood and mother-of-pearl arrives as both vessel and still point. Rich black lacquer catches directional light; hand-cut shell petals rest within it, cool and exact to the touch.

Chinese lacquerware reaches back more than three thousand years, refined across dynasties in the workshops of Fujian and Yangzhou. The technique of mother-of-pearl inlay, known as luodian, involves cutting thin wafers of freshwater shell into precise shapes and pressing them into wet lacquer before it cures. Each petal and leaf stem is placed by hand. The resulting surface does not print or stamp a pattern: it assembles one, flower by flower, in a process that cannot be rushed.

The box measures approximately 18 x 12 x 8 cm and weighs around 400 grams, substantial enough to hold without feeling fragile. The lid opens on brass hinges and rests flat, revealing a padded interior in deep red velvet with a central ring cushion and two side compartments. The exterior carries six to eight lacquer layers, sanded between each coat to achieve the smooth finish characteristic of fine Chinese lacquerware. The shell pieces are flush with the surface: no edge catches a fingertip.

Floral Chinese jewelry box in black lacquered wood with hand-inlaid mother-of-pearl floral motifs. Velvet-lined interior with central ring cushion and two side compartments. Brass hinges. Approximately 18 x 12 x 8 cm, 400 g. Handcrafted in China.

A jewelry box that rewards daily use. Each opening reveals the same patient craft. Artisan d’Asie sources directly from verified Chinese ateliers.