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

Description

The floral Chinese jewelry box in lacquered wood and mother-of-pearl is both storage vessel and decorative object. Rich black lacquer forms the ground; hand-cut shell petals rest within it, cool and exact to the touch, assembled flower by flower in a process that cannot be mechanized.

The box measures approximately 18 by 12 by 8 centimetres and weighs around 400 grams. 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, each sanded between coats to achieve the smooth surface characteristic of fine Chinese lacquerwork. The mother-of-pearl pieces are cut from freshwater shell into petal and leaf forms and pressed flush into the lacquer: no edge catches a fingertip, and the inlay reads as part of the surface rather than something applied to it.

Use this box on a dressing table, bedside surface, or vanity to store rings, earrings, pendants, and small jewelry pieces. The ring cushion in the center holds rings securely upright; the two flanking compartments suit earrings and small pendants. The lid closes completely flat when not in use, making the exterior decoration visible from across a room.

Chinese lacquerware has a documented history of more than three thousand years, with mother-of-pearl inlay, known in Chinese as luodian, refined in the workshops of Fujian and Yangzhou across multiple dynasties. The technique involves cutting thin wafers of shell into precise shapes and pressing them into wet lacquer before it sets, a method that embeds the decoration rather than coating the surface with it. This box belongs to a craft tradition that predates most European decorative techniques by millennia.

Is the velvet lining removable for cleaning? The velvet padding in this box is fitted rather than glued, and the compartment inserts can be carefully lifted and wiped with a slightly damp cloth. The lacquered exterior cleans easily with a soft dry cloth; avoid water and chemical cleaners, which can dull the lacquer finish over time.