A box made for one occasion
The commissioner divided her life between Fuzhou and London and asked for a formal gift for her British neighbour, a rapper, on his engagement. The finished box measures 30 × 17 × 10 cm.
The work draws on Fuzhou’s lacquered dowry-trunk tradition without reproducing an old trunk. A removable shallow tray sits above two compartments. Black goatskin lines the interior; brass corners and a lock define the exterior structure.
- Dimensions
- 30 × 17 × 10 cm
- Exterior
- Lacquered shagreen with brass hardware
- Interior
- Black goatskin, removable tray and two compartments
- Purpose
- Commissioned engagement gift
Materials and surface
Shagreen, lacquer, gold, red and black are brought together through layered application and polishing. The maker describes the surface as a black–gold–red xipi variation: the pattern is revealed through built layers and abrasion rather than painted as a flat image.
A brass plate bears the Chinese wishes 琴瑟和鸣 and 百年好合, with the couple’s names between them. Two red carp-leather key covers complete the pair.
Interior and fittings
