Woven Bamboo Stacking Box

The basic form of this three-tiered Chinese box has remained unchanged for a thousand years. Used like a modern lunchbox, each tier of this portable stacking box would have been filled with food and carried around by the handle. This example dates to the late 19th-century and has loosely woven sides set within a bent bamboo frame. The exterior is darkened by a thin layer of red lacquer and decorated with painted characters and simple brass hardware.