Round 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 woven box was originally used to store a round winter hat. The round box is finely woven of split bamboo and finished in a warm red-brown lacquer for a water-tight seal. Years of use have given the simple box a beautifully worn texture that only time can achieve.