Chinese Decorative Items: Box, Book, Plate, and Scroll

Four Chinese decorative items, comprising a carved wooden box…
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Four Chinese decorative items, comprising a carved wooden box and cover in the form of a mythical turtle with a lion head surmounted by a crane finial, a Chinese Orihon watercolour folding book of flora and fauna, with inscriptions, an electroplated Gorham-Horizon 'Chinese Plate Yuan Dynasty', inscribed verso, and a small golden silk scroll with characters, length 81 cm, width 35 cm

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  • Verso - Verso is the "back" side of a sheet of paper, art work, coin or medal. The front side is "recto".
  • Finial - An architectural decoration, found on the upper parts of of an object. On furniture they are usually found on pediments, canopies and shelf supports. On smaller ceramic or silver items, such as spoons, they may decorate the top of the item itself, or the lid or cover where they provide a useful handle for removal.

    Finials have a variety of shapes and forms. They may be urn-shaped, baluster shaped round or spiral, but usually taper into an upper point. Many real life shapes may also be used as finials, such as pineapples, berries, pinecones, buds, lotus and acorns. Sometimes animals such as a lion are depicted, or fish and dolphins.
  • Ming Dynasty - The Ming Dynasty was a ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644. It succeeded the Yuan Dynasty and preceded the Qing Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty was established by Zhu Yuanzhang, a former Buddhist monk who became a rebel leader and eventually overthrew the Mongol Yuan Dynasty. During the Ming Dynasty, China experienced a period of relative stability and prosperity. The government was centralized and bureaucratic, with the emperor at the top of the hierarchy. The Ming Dynasty is known for its cultural achievements, including the development of porcelain, the invention of movable type printing, and the construction of the Great Wall of China.

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