Chung Hsing Chinese Genuine Cinnabar Carved Lacquer Box, circa 1900

Chinese Export Coromandel lacquer and gilt six fold screen. Exceptional and rare six panel intaglio lacquer carving from the mid-20th century. It depi...

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This rare Chinese Art Deco box is made from copper alloy. The top is decorated with hand carved black cinnabar and highlighted with a finely carved bone figure...

Chinese Russet Jade hardwood Imperial Ruyi Scepter Qing Dynasty 19th century, Provenance. Large Chinese Qing Dynasty jade Ruyi scepter with three ...

Antique pair of Chinese 18th century Qing dynasty openwork wood carving Gilded screen work wall hanging architectural elements. This pair of Chinese pan...

A rare palace size Chinese carved cinnabar lacquer figural box and cover, Qing Dynasty This palace size box and cover is a rare and exquisite piece of art made in the 19th century...

A fine antique Chinese red cinnabar lacquer lidded round box carved with a scene with a young boy and a seated elderly bearded sage within a rocky landscape with trees. The "dragon's...

A large vintage Chinese red cinnabar box with deep relief carved lid depicting peonies, trees and a landscape with a palace. The round box has...

A crisply carved antique Chinese red cinnabar lacquer lidded round box with blue enamel interior and brass fittings. The "dragon's blood" trinket box has a fine peony, foliate and fl...

Pair large antique 19th century Chinese Lacquer and carved wood figures.

This intriguing Chinese zhadou is intricately carved of fine cinnabar lacquer. A work of exceptional artistry, this covered bowl is adorned with an intricately carved floral motif on all surfaces, including the cover and the wide rim. Also known as a cuspidor or spittoon, this rare container would have been used by members of the imperial family and scholar- officials at the court. Carved during the Kangxi period (1662-1722), this charming piece exhibits the high detail and charm associated with items from that period, making it a true treasure, Early 18th century (Kangxi dynasty) Measures: 6 ¼” wide x 3 ¼” high Cinnabar has been revered for its color all over the world. It has been found in the royal burial chambers of the Mayas, in the rituals of India, and in the ruins of ancient Greece and Rome. In China, cinnabar and gold were the two most important elements in alchemy. Mined since the Neolithic Age, cinnabar is the ore of mercury, and as such, it can be incredibly toxic, especially when mining. In fact, during the Roman Empire, miners at Spain’s Almadén mine in Spain were frequently exposed to mercury fumes, and the subsequent, often fatal, sickness was considered an occupational hazard. The most popular known use of cinnabar is in Chinese carved lacquer-ware, a technique that is believed to have originated in the Song Dynasty, in which cinnabar is ground to a powder and added to clear lacquer. As with mining, there was inherent danger of mercury poisoning for those who carved the lacquer, as mercury was also released into the air when artisans ground the pigments. Most antique cinnabar...