1-233-821 - The Museum of East Asian Art/Heritage Images

Chased silver covered box, Southern Song-Yuan dynasty, China, 13th century. A circular, chased silver covered box of Song to early Ming lacquer shape. The box is decorated on the top with numerous ladies and attendants engaged in various pursuits in a garden setting, their hair accentutated with silver sulphide niello. The curved sides show birds amid prunus, chrysanthemum and other flowers. The base section with egrets in a lotus pond in various positions chasing fish, one of which is trying to hide. One of the ladies is playing a pipa held half-way between the vertical and horizontal positions.