Cloisonne box with lotus blossom heart and passionflower decor

Ming dynasty, Ching-t'ai period (A.D. 1450--1456)
Height: 6.3 cm, Diameter: 12.4 cm

Carved in low relief, this copper body box was cast in the shape of a lotus blossom. With slightly protruding tips, each petal of the lotus blossom is decorated with one multi-colored passionflower. The top of the cover resembles the heart of a lotus blossom, and incised on the bottom of the interior, the six characters (Manufactured during the Ching-t'ai reign of the great Ming dynasty) are arranged in a horizontal row.

Click here for a larger picture
(image size between 100k - 300K)
and use the [BACK] Function key back to this page