Inlaid silver box

A bronze box of circular form supported on a short foot rim with very slightly domed cover and recessed base. The cover is inlaid in silver wire with a motif of a highly stylized chi dragon among clouds. The edge of the Iid is inlaid with small silver circles. The base is inlaid with a two-character signature in silver reading Shi sou.

The signature on the base of this box reads Shi sou, which can be found on a number of 17th century bronze wares inlaid in silver. Kerr notes that the precise identification of Shi sou is not entirely clear; it might refer to an individual artist who was prolific in making bronzes of this type during the 17th century, but equally it could be the name of a very large workshop or indeed a trademark, adopted by inspired entrepreneurs.1 A nearly identical circular bronze box with the same dragon motif but in this case mirrored, is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.2

1. Kerr, R. Later Chinese Bronzes, Bamboo Publishing Ltd., London, 1990, p. 65
2. Kerr, R. op.cit. plate 49, p. 63