Lacquered clothing box inlaid with Mother-of-Pearl

This is a relatively large box which is presumed to have been used to store uniforms or ceremonial clothing. Each side of the lid is densely inlaid with mother of pearl, to the point where the background is hardly visible. The mother of pearl was artificially cracked to ensure more gloss. The centre of the lid is decorated with a Chinese character for happiness, which is emphasised with lacquer coatings around it. The rhombus shape next to the writing was depicted using fish skin and copper wires. This is an exemplary piece of its era, where the effects of mother of pearl are well utilised.