Chinese shipwreck box and cover, Kangxi

Description

A Chinese box and cover, decorated in underglaze blue of a deep and rich tone, and dating from the Kangxi period.  Both the cover and the base are decorated with stylised lotus plants and flowers. Diameter 9.6cm (3.8”)

The depth of colour of the decoration is reminiscent of items made in the late Ming period, but this box was retrieved as part of an (unnamed) shipwreck cargo together with many items similar in style to the Vung Tau cargo (dated to c 1690). There is an ovoid jar and cover with similar decoration, dated to the Kangxi period, in the Gugong Museum, Beijing, illustrated in plate 230 in the book Qing Shunzhi Kangxi Chao Qinghuaci (Qing Dynasty Blue and White Porcelain from the Shunzhi and Kangxi Reigns)

Dating: Kangxi (1662 - 1722)

Condition:

This box and cover are in very good condition with no chips, cracks or restoration. Despite submersion the glaze is also in good condition with just a little softening from exposure to sea water, and a few remnants of marine encrustations which have been removed.