Antique Rare 1875 – 1908 Chinese Porcelain with Silver Ink Box as pictured. It measure app.71mm / 2 ¾” diameter, 45mm / 2” tall .
I was not sure about it’s age and origin, so I sent it to Antique Appraisers and here is their response:
.This is a beautiful Chinese little box which originally would have been used as a container for the special red seal paste (ink) that's used for scholar/artists to stamp their paintings and documents with their individual chop mark.
Going by the various features of the design, particularly the metal mount and the mark on the bottom, I would date it to the early to mid-1900s. The porcelain part is beautifully decorated with a red monochrome glaze on the outside that the Chinese call "Sacrificial Red" or jihong as it was used originally for the sacrificial vessels at the Altar of the Sun in Beijing. It is hugely popular with porcelain enthusiasts both in China and here in the West. It requires great technical skill to create and has been much admired ever since it was first developed in the mid-1700s. You can tell it straight away by the unmistakable "orange-peel" surface texture which your excellent photography shows up really clearly.
Inside is also a joy. The blue & white figures of boys playing is an eternally popular one in the Chinese tradition, all the figures deftly hand painted in a Kangxi style.
Looking at the metal mount, the medallion at the top has a traditional writhing dragon symbol of the emperor, prosperity and power. Applied to each of the four straps radiating from it, is a Chinese phoenix or fenghuang, symbol of the empress, feminine virtue, balance and loyalty. Together they form a rebus that symbolizes an idyllic marriage, so this would have been the perfect wedding gift.
The marks on the bottom are also interesting. The square seal in the center reads:
光緒年製
Guangxu Nian Zhi or "Emperor Guangxu period made"(The Guangxu emperor reigned from 1875 – 1908)
These marks remained popular all the way through the early Chinese Republic era, more to honor the master artisans of old than deliberately to deceive.
Despite it having these 'apocryphal' marks, this piece has a huge amount going for it and is extremely rare and would have no shortage of bidders at auction or on line (eBay). It's a very precious little work of art!