Chinese Box with Bird & Flower Motif

Two birds perch on a flowering branch across a carved lid.

This carved wood box with bird and flower motif is from China, and dates to the 20th century. Birds and flowers are among the most enduring subjects in Chinese decorative art, and they are often read as signs of the seasons, good fortune or harmony in nature. A rectangular box seen from above, with a deeply carved panel of a blossoming tree and two small birds in dark reddish-brown. A plain border frames the scene, and small hinges sit at the upper edge. It is 11 inches wide, 7.5 deep and 3 high.

Plenty of quiet drama in a very small garden.