Red Lacquer Sign of Honor

This engraved wooden panel is a 19th-century sign of honor originally presented to the family of an esteemed Qing-dynasty scholar-official. Written as an imperial edict from the emperor, the carved text honors an official named Wang Runxi for his rise in rank and awards honorary titles to his grandparents. The engraving dates the panel to 1875, the 13th year of the Tongzhi emperor. Lingering traces of lacquer and gilt pigments indicate the panel was once brilliantly decorated in red and gold. Today, the panel boasts a beautifully aged texture and offers a unique glimpse at the past.