Vietnamese Parcel-Gilt Silver Box

This fine lidded box has been made by local Chinese silversmiths in Vietnam, probably Hanoi. It is of high-grade silver and has been repoussed in high relief and engraved. Details have then been gilded (gold-plated) to provide a pleasing contrast with the surrounding silver.

The hinged lid is decorated with a stylised cloud or ruyi-shaped cartouche filled with two dragons on either side of a central Chinese stylised shou or ‘long-life’ ideogram. Each corner is delicately engraved with fine leafy boughs. Details of the dragons and the Chinese ideogram have been highlighted in gold. The dragons have been dynamically rendered with superb repousse work, and have applied silver wires for whiskers adding to their three-dimensional feel.

Each side is decorated with a similar ruyi-shaped cartouche filled with flowers and plants including lotus blooms and bird and butterflies, surrounded by more scrolling flower and leaf motifs in each corner, and all against a finely tooled background.

Such boxes did not necessarily have a specific purpose and could have been used to store anything from jewellery to tobacco.

The box is in fine condition.