Fine Hardwood Jewelry Box with Mirror

This Chinese jewelry box dates to the mid-19th century and would have been used by a Qing-dynasty woman to store her favorite pieces of jewelry, each drawer filled with jades, pearls, coral necklaces, and hair pins. Crafted of fine hardwood, the jewelry chest features two shallow drawers faced with decorative brass hardware and fruit-form pulls that conceal functional locks. The lid lifts to reveal an interior cloaked in vibrant red lacquer, with a small lidded compartment and a large hinged mirror. The elegant box is minimally decorated, instead showcasing the natural beauty of the shimmering wood grain, patterned with lustrous striations reminiscent of tiger maple or longyan wood.

Box includes two keys for drawer locks.

From the collection of Frances and Gary Comer.