Base for a Carved Lacquer Scroll Box
Unknown Artist
1736–95
Medium
cinnabar carved lacquer on wood
Dimensions
14 × 14.7 × 59 cm
Classification
Lacquer
Department
Chinese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
1969.32.b
About this artwork
The elaborate design, superior craftsmanship, and inscription carved into the red cinnabar lacquer proclaim the imperial pedigree of this scroll box. On either end appears a five-clawed dragon, a design reserved only for an emperor. More dragons twist and wind through swirling clouds and waves along the length of the box’s sides and top. The carving is intricate and vigorous, while the design is controlled and regular. This box originally housed the handscroll, CMA 1969.31, private portraits of ...