Chinese | Lacquered Wood | Pillow-Form Box | Floral and Butterfly Decoration | China | Late 20th Century

A box shaped by rest rather than utility — where even storage takes on a softer geometry.

Lacquered wooden boxes of this type were produced in China for both domestic use and the export and souvenir trade. The pillow-form — a rectangular box with gently concave long sides — references the traditional Chinese ceramic headrest form, lending the object a sculptural softness unusual in standard storage boxes. The green ground with gilt and polychrome decoration reflects established decorative conventions within late export lacquerwork, combining floral imagery with auspicious surface ornament.

The exterior is finished in deep emerald green lacquer. The lid carries a central shaped cartouche with a gilt ground, decorated with flowering peony branches in tones of coral, amber, teal, and green, with two butterflies in flight above. The surrounding green surface is patterned with fine gilt star and web motifs, enclosed by a thin gilt border line. The sides of the box are decorated with gilt auspicious motifs in scrolling and symbolic forms. A circular dark metal hasp is mounted to the front. The interior is lined in a warm terracotta-toned material, with a printed Chinese text mark set within a bordered panel on the inside of the lid.

The box is in very good condition. There is general light wear to the exterior consistent with age and handling. One corner of the base shows a small area of lacquer loss exposing the underlying material. The interior lining is intact and clean.

Key details

• Maker: Unattributed
• Pattern/Model: Floral cartouche with butterfly decoration
• Material: Lacquered wood with metal fitting
• Origin: China
• Date: Late 20th century
• Size: 15 × 7.5 × 9 cm
• Weight: 438 g
• Condition: Very good; minor wear with one corner loss to base

Collector Appeal

Pillow-form lacquer boxes occupy a niche within Chinese export decorative wares, valued primarily for form and surface rather than rarity. Their appeal lies in proportion and finish — compact, tactile objects that read as both functional and ornamental. This example sits comfortably within that decorative tradition, with the cartouche panel providing its strongest visual anchor.

The pillow shape was not functional invention alone — it is the language of rest translated into storage.