Small box in the form of hibiscus blossom

This delicate box in the shape of a hibiscus flower is lavishly decorated with small pieces of metal foil and thin slivers of iridescent shell, or mother-of-pearl, meticulously inlaid into the lacquer surface. A fashion for lacquerware inlaid with foil and shell became popular in the first half of the seventeenth century, but at that time most of the designs consisted of landscapes and figures. In the Kangxi era (1662-1722), a new vogue arose for lacquer decorated with geometric designs executed with great precision, as seen here. 

Virtually every inch of this box is embellished. The inside is inlaid with two branches of fruit trees, and the base bears a name seal inlaid in mother-of-pearl as well as images of flowers. The seal reads Qianli which is conventionally believed to be the given name of the craftsman Jiang Qianli. Little historical information has been discovered about this man, so it is possible that the name actually refers to a workshop, not a person. Ultimately, the Qianli seal became synonymous with the technique of delicate, geometric designs inlaid in mother-of-pearl.