Box with truncated dome cover

The discovery of a ceramic box inscribed with the characters youhe (lotion box) unearthed in Jiangsu (WW 1977.9: 25) explain its function as a cosmetic article. Ceramic boxes in rounded or four-lobed forms, either plain, painted, stamped, or incised with flower, bird, or geometrical designs have been found in Tang tombs everywhere. The high-bodied shape was a feature that became increasingly popular from the late Tang. The purplish biscuit with grooved circular lines that is rarely employed on boxes are details indicating Hunan manufacture (Zhou 1988: 113).