Vintage Chinese Black Lacquer Mother-of-Pearl Inlaid Hexagonal Banchan Serving Box

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A wonderfully decorative vintage Chinese lacquered serving box, fashioned in a striking hexagonal form and lavishly ornamented with hand-cut mother-of-pearl … Read more A wonderfully decorative vintage Chinese lacquered serving box, fashioned in a striking hexagonal form and lavishly ornamented with hand-cut mother-of-pearl inlay.

The glossy black lid presents an elegant symmetrical composition of flowering branches, fruit, ribbon-like flourishes and stylized auspicious characters or motifs. Each element has been individually shaped from iridescent shell, creating a surface that changes dramatically with the light. Soft ivory gives way to flashes of rose, celadon green, gold and peacock blue—the natural luminosity of the mother-of-pearl providing the ornamentation rather than applied color.

Particularly beautiful are the delicately incised floral details. Roses, blossoms, leaves and fruit have been carved directly into the shell, lending the decoration an almost engraved quality when viewed closely. Fine gilt lines trace the hexagonal perimeter and continue around the sides of the box.

Removing the decorated lid reveals an unexpected and wonderfully architectural interior: six removable triangular lacquered dishes fitted together to form a complete hexagon. Finished in a rich oxblood-red lacquer, the individual dishes radiate from the center like the segments of a geometric flower. Each can be lifted independently for serving small foods, sweets, nuts, condiments or hors d'oeuvres.

The juxtaposition is particularly striking—the restrained black-and-pearl exterior opens to reveal a warm, saturated red interior.

The underside retains its original paper export label bearing an article number, handwritten Chinese characters and dimensions, together with “Made in China,” providing useful provenance for the piece.

Both functional and highly decorative, the box would be equally beautiful used for entertaining or displayed closed on a cocktail table, console or sideboard. Its strong geometry and luminous shell work give it considerable presence as an object even when not in use. See less