Double Happiness Woven 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 hand-woven hat box from northern China is carefully woven of thin strips of bamboo in a simple twill pattern. The domed box is elevated on a simple lacquered fabric stand and secured by a band of bamboo with brass hardware fitted for a lock. A central woven panel on the lid bears the double happiness symbol (囍), suggesting this box may have once been a wedding gift to a young couple. Richly colored, the woven box is a beautiful example of Chinese basketry and a statement addition to the home.