Eight Treasure Winter Hat Box

No self-respecting man in Qing-dynasty China would leave the house without some kind of hat. In fact, headgear was so central to social status that even the containers used to store one's hat were beautifully constructed.

With an elaborate form and a rich, dark lacquer finish, this 19th-century hat box likely belonged to an individual of rank and nobility. The round box would have been used to store a fine winter hat, known as jiguan or chaoguan. Such hats were constructed of decadent silks, trimmed with satin or fur, and topped with a beaded finial denoting rank. The tiered lid accommodated this finial and preserved the hat's shape.

Lightly faded from a century of use, the box is painted in gold linework with precious scholars' objects and charmed eight treasure symbols. Richly colored, this sculptural box is a fantastic collector's item and a statement addition to the home.