Rectangular box decorated with painted lacquer

The scene probably illustrates an episode from the well-known historical novel Romance of the Three
 Kingdoms. Three figures engage in an important meeting or negotiation in a tent, while messengers approach the meeting with news from the battlefield. The painted background is a panoramic landscape with winding riverbanks and expansive vistas made up of pavilions and pagodas, with mountain peaks in the distance.
 

The combination of woven rattan material and the painted gold-over-black color scheme on this box’s frames reflects a Chinese interest in the Japanese lacquer tradition. The new decorative style was developed in the seventeenth century, when wealthy Chinese consumers became fascinated by special designs and techniques on imported Japanese lacquerware.