Finely Woven Winter 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.

Finely woven with an elaborate form, this 19th-century hat box likely belonged to an individual of rank and nobility. The round box would have been used to store a fine winter hat, known as jiguan or chaoguan. Such hats were constructed of decadent silks, trimmed with satin or fur, and topped with a beaded finial denoting rank. The tiered lid of this hat box accommodated the finial and preserved the hat's domed shape. Slotted holes on the underside function as a handle and recall the interlocking coin motif, a symbol of wealth and success. Richly textured, this sculptural box is a fantastic collector's item and a statement addition to the home.