{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O17115"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O17115/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BF5068/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BF5068/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006BF5068","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KA3251","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O17115/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O17115","accessionNumber":"FE.55-1983","objectType":"Box ","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"The Chinese empire during the Qing dynasty (1644-1901) included the regions of modern Tibet and Mongolia, and the patronage of the Buddhists of these regions was important to the state. The iconography of the type of Buddhism practised in these areas, called Lamaism, also deeply influenced court art. This lacquer box, produced at the court lacquer workshop and bearing an inscription referring to the Qianlong emperor (1736-1795), is decorated with five-clawed dragons and a number of Buddhist deities. The iconography on the cover clearly indicates that this box was used in a Buddhist context.","physicalDescription":"This box is decorated with five-clawed dragons and Buddhist deities. A rectangular box with removeable sliding front, set on a low pedestal carved with lotus panels. The interior and underside of the flat base are lacquered plain black. The decoration is executed in carved red lacquer, carved down to reveal a yellow ground cut with a cash-diaper. on the top is a  single confronting dragon among clounds, on each side is a single rising dragon among clouds. \n\nOn the back are two rising dragons among clouds, one each side of the cartouche containing the inscription. All dragons have five claws.  The sliding front is carved with an assembly of Buddhist divinities, presided over by Sakyamuni at the top. There are in effect four tiers to this decoration, which includes Maitreya and Amitabha, the Eight Manifestations of Guanyin, Heavenly Kings, Boddhisattvas and Lohans.\r\n\n","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"lacquer","id":"AAT14916"},{"text":"wood","id":"AAT11914"}],"techniques":[{"text":"carving","id":"AAT53149"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Carved lacquer on wood","categories":[{"text":"Buddhism","id":"THES48984"},{"text":"Lacquerware","id":"THES49004"},{"text":"Religion","id":"THES48900"}],"styles":[{"text":"Qing","id":"AAT18478"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"EAS","id":"THES48596"},"images":["2006BF5068","2017KA3251"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"44","id":"THES49802"},"free":"","case":"CA034","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"44","id":"THES49802"},"free":"","case":"CA034","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Box","id":""}],[{"text":"Lid","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"No","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"China","id":"x29398"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1736-1795","earliest":"1736-01-01","latest":"1795-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by the Museums and Galleries Commission, from the estate of the late Mrs L. F. Palmer","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"34.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"17.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"base","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"8.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"base","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"大清乾隆年敬製","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"Reverently made in the Qianlong period of the Great Qing","transliteration":"Da Qing Qianlong nian jing zhi","type":"","note":"In raised red characters on a plain red cartouche\r\n"}],"objectHistory":"Previously thought to be intended for a spirit tablet, bearing the name of a deceased or minor deity, for which a rite was performed. However, there is a very similar example, except carved with Daoist deities, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, that is the container for a scripture. This box would have been used for holding copies of Buddhist sutras.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Lacquer box, China, Qing dynasty, Qianlong reign (1736-95)","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Published: R.Soame Jenyns & William Watson, 'Chinese Art, the Minor Arts: Gold, Silver etc.' pl.167.\r\n'Arts of the Qing Dynasty' (OCS 1963) no.370.\r\nCompare: A closely comparable box, from which the inscription had been ground away, was in the possession of Spink and Son Ltd. in 1983.\r\nCompare: Carved lacquer box for holding a Daoist scripture in the Palace Museum collection. See <u>China: The Three Emperors</u> (2005), no. 60. "}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Buddhas","id":"N803"},{"text":"Sakyamuni","id":"N817"},{"text":"Maitreya","id":"N896"},{"text":"AmitabhaBodhisattvaGuanyin","id":"N952"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"dragon","id":"x30096"},{"text":"Religions, Buddhism","id":"x31480"},{"text":"釋迦牟尼","id":"CIT281402"},{"text":"佛塔","id":"CIT281717"},{"text":"佛弟子","id":"CIT285928"},{"text":"彌勒","id":"CIT281141"},{"text":"八大菩薩","id":"CIT285952"},{"text":"明王","id":"CIT285878"},{"text":"哪吒","id":"CIT0284278"},{"text":"四天王","id":"CIT286059"},{"text":"十八羅漢","id":"CIT281003"},{"text":"祥雲","id":"CIT280093"},{"text":"白蓋","id":"CIT281254"},{"text":"蓮座","id":"CIT281341"},{"text":"香爐","id":"CIT283561"},{"text":"法物 (佛教)","id":"CIT286411"},{"text":"法會","id":"CIT282482"},{"text":"禮佛","id":"CIT281265"},{"text":"騰雲","id":"CIT0292556"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["FE.55-1983","FE.55A-1983"],"accessionNumberNum":"55","accessionNumberPrefix":"FE","accessionYear":1983,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Box","Lid"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-06-05","recordCreationDate":"1999-12-15","availableToBook":false}}