1-233-822 - The Museum of East Asian Art/Heritage Images

Chased silver covered box enriched with niello, 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.