Circular box decorated with the character for spring and a bowl of treasures

This kind of lidded large box was specially commissioned to contain desserts at the Ming and Qing imperial palaces. Symbolizing youth and longevity, the auspicious character “spring” (chun) sits between two dragons flying in clouds; below are rainbows radiating from a bowl of overflowing treasures. Incorporated into the character is a roundel in which the God of Longevity reads under a pine tree, with a servant and a deer in the background.

A palatial attendant was supposed to hold the box with their hands and present it in the right direction, so that the viewer could be pleased by the large character or other auspicious ornamentation on the lid. Similar boxes with the same character motif are known; all bearing at the bottom an inscription reading “precious box of longevity and spring (shouchun baohe); produced during the Qianlong reign of the great Qing dynasty.” Like the begonia-shaped plates, court treasure boxes of this type became the signature products of the imperial lacquer workshop of this period. They illuminate how Chinese lacquer functioned as “delightful luxury” to serve the imperial families and social elites in their daily life and beyond.