Vintage Asian Mother-of-Pearl Inlaid Musical Jewelry Box

Description

View Vintage Asian Mother-of-Pearl Inlaid Musical Jewelry Box with current marketplace pricing, condition, product images and item details. Boxes like this descend from a centuries-old tradition of lacquered and mother-of-pearl-inlaid containers used for jewelry, personal treasures and other small valuables. The decoration is filled with traditional East Asian auspicious imagery. Vintage Asian Mother-of-Pearl Inlaid Musical Jewelry Box Beautiful vintage wooden musical jewelry/keepsake box featuring a rich red lacquered finish, iridescent mother-of-pearl-style inlay, two small front drawers, metal hardware, and a glass-lined interior lid. The box plays music when opened, making it both a decorative piece and a functional jewelry or keepsake box. The decoration is filled with traditional East Asian auspicious imagery. The birds, flowers and botanical motifs are associated broadly with beauty, harmony, longevity and good fortune. Mother-of-pearl inlay has a very long history in Asian decorative arts; surviving Chinese lacquer boxes with shell inlay date back as far as the Yuan dynasty, and the technique continued for centuries. The characters across the drawers appear to include traditional good-fortune/prosperity symbolism. Characters such as 福 (fú) are traditionally associated with good fortune/blessings, 祿 (lù) with prosperity or status, and 壽 (shòu) with longevity. These concepts commonly appear together in decorative arts as wishes for a fortunate, prosperous and long life. Boxes like this descend from a centuries-old tradition of lacquered and mother-of-pearl-inlaid containers used for jewelry, personal treasures and other small valuables. By the 19th and early 20th centuries, elaborate inlaid boxes were also being produced as decorative and export pieces; later 20th-century examples incorporated Western-style music-box mechanisms, creating the musical jewelry boxes collectors recognize today. Features: * Red lacquered wood construction * Iridescent shell/mother-of-pearl-style inlay * Bird, floral and auspicious character motifs * Two pull-out drawers * Divided upper storage compartment * Glass interior lid * Metal latch and drawer pulls * Music plays when the box is opened * Vintage condition with age-appropriate surface wear Condition: Pre-owned. Category: Jewelry & Watches › Jewelry Care, Design & Repair › Jewelry Boxes, Organizers & Packaging. Brand: Unbranded.

Personalize

No

Brand

Unbranded

Type

Jewelry Box

Shape

Rectangle

Customized

No

Items Included

Jewelry Box

Theme

Music

Material

Wood

Features

Musical

Suitable For

Ring, Earring, Necklace

Vintage

Yes