{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O487061"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O487061/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021MX4466/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021MX4466/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2021MX4466","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JV7202","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O487061/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O487061","accessionNumber":"W.69A/1-1935","objectType":"BOX ","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"Pair of boxes and covers, hempen composition covered on the outside with dark red lacquer, carved in low relief; on the inside and under the base with plain black lacquer. Red-lacquered brass rims round the edges of the base, cover, and foot. Depressed spherical form, with design of ten five-clawed dragons among cloud scrolls. Mark on base and inside the covers.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"lacquer","id":"AAT14916"},{"text":"hemp","id":"AAT14043"},{"text":"","id":""},{"text":"brass (alloy)","id":"AAT10946"}],"techniques":[{"text":"carving","id":"AAT53149"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Lacquer on hemp, carved decoration, with brass rims","categories":[{"text":"Lacquerware","id":"THES49004"}],"styles":[{"text":"Qianlong","id":"AAT18486"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"EAS","id":"THES48596"},"images":["2021MX4466","2017JV7202"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"006","id":"THES370545"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"006","id":"THES370545"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"006","id":"THES370545"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"006","id":"THES370545"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Box","id":""}],[{"text":"Lid","id":""}],[{"text":"Box","id":""}],[{"text":"Lid","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Beijing","id":"x32780"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"probably"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1736-1795","earliest":"1736-01-01","latest":"1795-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Bequeathed by Lady (Charles) Tomes","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"22.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"28.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"大清乾隆年製","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"Made in the Qianlong reign of the Great Qing","transliteration":"Da Qing Qianlong nian zhi","type":"","note":"under the bases in incised and gilt characters"},{"content":"九龍寶盒","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"Nine dragons precious box","transliteration":"Jiulong baohe","type":"","note":"Inside the covers in incised and gilt characters"}],"objectHistory":"These boxes were part of a bequest from Lady Tomes, in memory of her late husband Sir Charles Sissmore Tomes (1846-1928), FRS, FRCS, LLD who had been a dental surgeon and Crown representative on the General Medical Council. The letter from Lady Tomes's solicitor states the two lacquer boxes were 'taken from a Pavillion of the Summer Palace, Pekin, in 1860 by Thomas Adkins Esq., with Lord Elgin's Mission'.  One of the bowls apparently contained a memorandum which states 'this bowl was taken by me from one of the Pavilions of the Summer Palace, Pekin, and was given by me to Lady Alcock in whose possession it remained until the sale of Sir R Alcock's collections on June 6-10th 1898.' The Summer Palace refers to the imperial summer retreat Yuanming Yuan, located north of Beijing, which was plundered and destroyed by British and French troops in 1860 during the Second Opium War. \n\nThomas Adkins had ben appointed as an interpreter at the Superintendency of British Trade with China in 1855. He remained with the Chinese Consular Service, serving in Hong Kong, Ningbo and then Beijing, until 1879, ultimately rising to the position of consul. He served as interpreter to James Bruce, Earl of Elgin, during the Second Opium War. Rutherford Alcock also served in the diplomatic service in China (1844-1858) before becoming the first British representative to live in Japan.  He returned to Britain in 1862, when he married his second wife (who like him was a widow), went back to Japan in 1864 and then again in China in 1865 until he retired in 1869.  Thus, Adkins would have known Lady Alcock and her husband well. ","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Pair of red lacquer boxes and covers, China, Qianlong period (r. 1736-1795)","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["W.69A/1-1935","W.69A/2-1935","W.69:1-1935","W.69:2-1935"],"accessionNumberNum":"69","accessionNumberPrefix":"W","accessionYear":1935,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Box [1]","Lid [1]","Box [2]","Lid [2]"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-06-26","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-25","availableToBook":true}}