Chinese Woven Box with Hinged Top

Plain bamboo, a red wash, a black lid, a brass catch.

Craftsmen in Shanxi Province, China, made this woven bamboo box with a hinged top in the 19th century. Lidded boxes of this kind were commonly used in Chinese households for storing clothing, tools or personal items. The sides are woven in fine reddish splints, framed by black lacquered rails and short corner feet. A flat black lid carries a brass hasp at the front, and the lacquer is crazed and scuffed with age. The shape is low, wide and sturdy.

About ten inches high, thirty wide and twenty deep. Good for hiding the remote.