This is a very good quality antique Chinese carved red (ie cinnabar) lacquer box. The lid of the box has a well-carved panel scene of an old scholar and his student walking on a path paved with stones with Buddhist swastikas amongst old pine trees in a mountain landscape. The carving is very deep and well executed. This panel is surrounded by a well-carved Greek key fret pattern. The sides are set with a tile-based pattern of nested squares. The interior is painted with black lacquer. The base material appears to be wood, rather than paper mache, but it may be a mixture of both.
This lovely box is about 14 cm by 9.8 cm and about 5 cm tall. Condition is generally very good. There are a few minor chips on some corners, which can be seen in the photos. There is modern green baize on the base, but this can be removed carefully. Probably the original black lacquer is beneath. As to age, I estimate that this lovely antique box dates to the period 1900-1920.
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