Antique Chinese 19th century gilt & lacquer sewing work box - rectangular shaped with canted corners on lion paw feet - fitted tray with sewing items

An antique Chinese gilt lacquer rectangular-shaped, hinged, domed edged, lidded sewing work box with canted corners. It has a fitted interior tray and comes complete with some bovine bone sewing related contents. The exterior of the box has gold coloured Chinoiserie decoration on a dark red brown lacquer ground. It stands on four patinated brass metal feet shaped like lion paws. The front has a diamond shaped brass escutcheon for the lock but there is no key. 

The top of the lid is decorated with a Chinese fenced garden scene with willow trees in the background. The foreground has three young boys standing in front of a summer house on the edge of a pond or lake. The domed edges have a scrolling feather or leaf pattern. The sides have further garden scenes and floral decoration.

This style of chinoiserie was made in Canton for export to wealthy customers in the Qing dynasty. This intricate and detailed work was made for export to Britain when Chinoiserie was all the rage in the 19th century. We believe that this antique lacquered wooden storage container dates to the early to middle part of the 19th century from around 1840 during the Reign of Queen Victoria and the Chinese Qing dynasty and the Daoguang era.

This sewing box measures 5 5/16 inches (13.4 cm) high, 10 13/16 inches (27.5 cm) long and 7 3/4 inches (19.7 cm) wide. It weighs 1 kg unpacked.

Items such as this are fragile pieces of history and are usually found significantly damaged however the condition of this piece is in good. antique condition. The box has some cracking and small losses of lacquer, there is wear to the gilded decoration. There is a small dent to the middle of the lid, which has warped with age, the replaced hinges have been packed to allow closure at the front. It has been well loved and used as it was intended. The internal fittings are in good condition. The hinges have been replaced in the past, as have the feet, it probably had carved wooden winged lion paw feet originally.  The price takes the condition into consideration. Please see the images.

This is a great looking item of antique Chinese lacquer ware and a very decorative and useful object.