A small hand-painted lacquer jewelry box in the Warring-States pattern — heavy in the hand, quiet on the table.
A small rectangular jewelry box, hand-painted in the lacquer tradition of Pingyao (a small city in Shanxi province famous for lacquerware since the Tang dynasty). The exterior is decorated in the Warring-States pattern — a dense interlace of curving lines in red and black, with small mother-of-pearl inlays. The interior is a clean dark felt, with a single metal push-clasp to keep the lid shut.
The story
Pingyao lacquerware is one of the small folk-craft traditions of north China — a workshop practice rather than a museum piece, the kind of box that showed up in a dowry and lasted two generations. We carry it because the Warring-States pattern is the most Chinese of the pattern families, and because a small lacquer box is the kind of object you keep on a dresser for thirty years without thinking about it.
What makes it special
21 to 23 cm across — fits on a dresser or a small shelf
Hand-painted lacquer in red and black, mother-of-pearl inlay
Single metal push-clasp, lined dark felt interior
About 1.5 to 3 kg, depending on size — heavy in the hand, a real object
The details
Material
Hand-painted lacquer over wood, mother-of-pearl inlay, felt lining
Dimensions
21 × 14 × 8 cm, 23 × 14 × 8 cm, 19.5 × 19.5 × 8.5 cm, or 23 × 14.5 × 15 cm — pick the size in the selector
Weight
About 1.5 kg (21 x 14 cm), about 2 kg (23 x 14 cm and 19.5 x 19.5 cm), or about 3 kg (23 x 14.5 x 15 cm)
Closure
Single metal push-clasp
Color
Red and black lacquer, iridescent mother-of-pearl
In the box
1 jewelry box, soft cloth
How to use it
The box for a dresser top, a vanity, or a small entryway shelf. Reads as a real object next to a perfume tray or a stack of books. The Warring-States pattern is dense and detailed — give it natural light and let it sit.
Care
Wipe the lacquer with a soft dry cloth — no polish, no water. The mother-of-pearl will dull slightly with handling, which is the right direction. If the felt lining marks, replace it with a small piece of dark felt rather than washing the original.
Kongshan draws on the craft traditions of southwest China — and says what things are. Pieces are made by partner workshops in southwest China to our specifications, then quality-checked before they ship. Worldwide delivery, a full refund if an item arrives damaged or not as described, and a real person answers your email within a day.
