Chinese Wood Box

Plump ribs bulge up a red-brown column, glossy enough to double as a mirror.

This lacquered bamboo box is from China, and dates to the 20th century. Lacquer is made from the sap of the lacquer tree and, once cured, forms a hard and water-resistant coating that has been used in East Asia for thousands of years. A cylindrical form with bold, rounded bands that give the sides a gently swelling outline. The glaze runs from bright red-brown in the middle to near black at the base. Bright reflections sit on each band, and the rim looks slightly worn. It is 9.5 inches high and 3.6 in diameter.

It plainly enjoys being rounded off.