Hand crafted wooden container, antique Chinese Wedding Basket

Tonight's offering is in the form of a wooden lidded basket, shaped and styled as a Lotus flower which is regarded as a symbol of purity, nobility and resilience. The basket is more correctly known as a 'wedding basket' and is finished in a red lacquer which symbolises good luck and great fortune while the lid has been coloured green with a lighter “veined” effects. The whole basket has a very rustic and aged appearance, well deserved given the age of it . Baskets such as this were often given as wedding gifts, filled with rice to ensure that the young couple had food to eat. The classically tall handle is bamboo, otherwise the rest of the basket appears to be a light wood, really well carved and decorated in the style known as “Chinoiserie”. The floral design is no longer well delineated from the background, however it can be made out. This style of basket appears to date to the 1800 – 1850 period and it is certainly more decorative than most that have been seen.

As photographs form an important part of the description, happy to provide additional images if requested. Please also take the time to check out our eclectic range of items being offered.

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