Chinese Carved Cinnabar Lidded Box

A four drawer jewelry chest / box with upper and lower storage having an area between the two for laying out your pieces to try on. The medium dark walnut with fine graining and the ...

A very well crafted walnut four drawer jewelry or watch box with wonderful graining which sits on your dresser or in your dressing area . To the front of the drawers are dark turned ...

A nicely grained medium toned walnut miniature chest or jewelry chest with two drawers having turned brushed stainless steel pulls. The chest is crafted to sit on top of a dresser or...

A set of two glass Heller bakeware pieces with lids designed by L & M Vignelli that can be used in the oven, microwave or as severing pieces. The lids can be used as pie pans so the ...

A fine 36-piece midcentury China set with six 6-piece place settings designed by Paul McCobb with dark gray and black graphics produced in 1959-1960. The china is in a restaurant style which means it a heavier form and dish washer safe, retains the ink stamps to the bottom manufactured by the Jackson China...

A pair of hand carved wood panels with intertwining designs covering the whole front and back with a framed look to each . Two well crafted piec...

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...

An 18th/19th Century Chinese cinnabar circular box with multiple cartouches of Families. This is a marvelous piece with very fine details on the main top panel of the box. The top pa...

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 Chinese covered jar of carved cinnabar covered jar with blue enamel interior over brass. The carving is exquisite, with deep red cinnabar in high rel...

Unique Chinese beautifully carved cinnabar planter with three cranes forming the planter, second half of the 20th century.     

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...