Oxblood Lacquer Summer Hat Box

No self-respecting man in Qing-dynasty China would leave the house without some kind of hat. In fact, headgear was so central to social status that even the containers used to store one's hat were beautifully constructed.

This 19th-century wooden hat box likely belonged to an individual of rank and nobility. The pointed box was designed to store both a conical summer hat and a round winter cap. The resulting shape is graphic and sculptural, minimally accentuated by a dark, oxblood-red lacquered hide finish. With its intriguing form and storied history, this box makes for a fantastic collector's item and a statement addition to the home.