A CHINESE CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL 'SCHOLAR'S BOX'

Trompe l'oeil effects were introduced to the Chinese Imperial court by Western-trained artists such as the Jesuit Guiseppe Castiglione (1688-1766) who held appointments at the Imperial Painting Academy. These decorative techniques, which transformed works into playful, it not deceiving objects, were applied to various decorative media. Porcelain, cloisonné works, lacquer wares were made to imitate richly brocaded fabrics, beautifully grained precious woods, and endless decorative schemes meant to simulate a variety of materials. See, a related example in red lacquer and ivory, also formed as number of faux albums and scrolls illustrated in Masterpieces of Chinese Carved Lacquer Ware in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, 1971, no. 40.