445.
A CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL BOX AND COVER
Qing dynasty, Qianlong period
3,2 x 15,2 x 5,8 cm
Provenance: Naples, Villa della Floridiana, Museo Duca di Martina, Placido de Sangro (1829-1891) collection.
inv. n. 5239.
This box is shaped as a qin zhiter, the musical instrument favoured by scholars and literati. Associated ab antiquo to Confucius, it symbolizes refinement and good taste. Its origins could be traced back to the first millenium BC, the earliest known examples being dated to 500 BC circa, but its invention is traditionally attributed to the Yellow Emperor who is credited to have been lived in the third millenium BC.
A very similar box and cover, with a darker blue ground, is in the collections of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London (Salting Bequest, inv. n. M.782BOX-1910).
