Chinese Cinnabar Lacquer Cylindrical Box of Sages with Their Attendant - 19th C

A medium-sized red cinnabar lacquer box with two sages with a young attendant beneath a pine tree in a rural retreat. The carving is deep and the lacquer has a nice deep red color.

The box was made from many layers of red cinnabar lacquer applied over a cloth base. You can see the cloth base on the rim flange losses on the base box. The interior and base had an application of black lacquer. The lacquer was carved on the lid with a scholar scene. The sides were carved with a diamond diaper pattern.

The center of the base has a barely discernible mark of CHINA etched in the lacquer.

MEASUREMENTS
5 1/8" (13.0 cm) diameter x 2 1/8" (5.4 cm) tall. Weighs 11.3 oz (325 g)

CONDITION
There are lacquer losses to the rim edge of the interior flange of the base. The lid edge has losses of red, but this does not show when the box is closed. There is a small lacquer loss at the top of the pine tree. The black in the interior shows age cracks. The base black lacquer shows wear.

An intricately carved hands-on labor by an experienced artisan that has survived until today. It has a rich substantial look.