Octagonal food box with Chinese immortals and floral design

This richly decorated black-lacquered octagonal food box features recessed panels on each of its sides, inset with gilded metal mesh and surrounded by intricately inlaid mother-of-pearl designs of scrolling peony leaves and flowers. The rims of both the upper and lower sections also contain smaller recessed panels ornamented with inlaid mother-of-pearl dragons. The flat top of the box’s cover is inlaid with a design of Shoulao, the Chinese God of Longevity, riding a crane among clouds above a group of eight Daoist Immortals. The raised, faceted base is also ornamented with inlaid mother-of-pearl peony scrolls, and the interior of the vessel is lacquered in red. An inscription, now obliterated, on the underside of the vessel’s foot, may have indicated the origins of the piece, which was almost certainly made by a studio producing wares for the Ryukyu court. The lacquer techniques and style seen in this piece reflect the influence of Chinese and Korean decorative arts, especially lacquers with mother-of-pearl inlay.