Chinese Cinnabar Box

Carved round cinnabar box on brass with a blue enameled interior and underfoot. The carved top centers on peonies growing from a rocky outcropping with ...

Vintage Chinese carved cinnabar lidded box with black enameled interior. The carved lid centers on a basket of flowers on a patterned field within a framed reserve.

1891-1911 Chinese cinnabar stamp box. The red lacquer carved with a garden scene & a sage under a tree. Hinged. Sides are fully carved as well. Marked "China". Late Qing Dynasty. 3 3...

A petite Chinese cinnabar lacquered turtle box, circa 1980's. The box is in very good vintage condition and measures 3.5"W x 2.5"D x 1.75"H. #3427

If objects could talk, this box would have some interesting stories for all its wonderful aged patina, cracks and character. A faded cinnabar, the entire surface is meticulously hand...

Red lacquer box with the lid representing a scholar and children playing in a mountainous garden, the outer sides covered with repeated geometric patterns. This box was made in China...

Vintage Chinese Red Carved Cinnabar Lacquer Floral Trinket Box.

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...

This antique decorative box is unsigned, but presumed to have originated from China, and date to approximately 1920 and done in a period Chinese...

Beautiful little box lacquered with red and black Cinnabar forming a peony decoration. Cinnabar lacquer is an Asian technique that comes from cutting an...