A Chinese rectangular box made of black lacquer and basketry panels, with lacquer paint and oil color for the decoration of flowers and birds, from the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), dated to the late 16th to early 17th century. The caption at the Metropolitan Museum of Art states:

During the late Ming period, lacquer boxes with basketry panels were used for the presentation of gifts and documents as well as for storage. Multicolored designs enjoyed great popularity, and artists also juxtaposed materials of contrasting colors and textures. In the seventeenth century, a rectangular box with straight sides gradually replaced the round-shouldered type seen here.