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Description:
Ref: 663TC http://hygra.com/box/663TC 
    Important high quality Chinese Export Lacquer Tea Chest of  decorated with scenes which are significant both in trading terms and in Sino-European relations and art.   
    The lacquer work on the top is raised;  it has been built up slowly layer by layer. 
    The scenes: The orchestration of activity reflects the descriptions of gardens with islands  and water where business as well as pleasure was the natural way of life. 
    For the Chinese water is lucky, as most business transactions took place near rivers which were also used for transporting commodities.   
    The association of luck with water is still strong today.  The painting is in two colours of gold is executed with mastery of art of the art of brush stroke:  The traders are depicted with a minimum of of lines.
    The cultured formal Chinese traders  are toing and froing from the focal point which appears to be a table at which some important robed figures are gathered. The impression given is of negotiation rather than festivity. 
    The most unusual feature of the decoration is the border which features Chinese coins interwoven with bamboo  and flowers on the top. The coins bear the reign titles of Ming and Qing emperors.

The cash coins depicted include those of  The Jiaqing Emperor, Hong Xiuquan, Qing Dynasty, Taiping, The Prince of Tang, The Qianlong Emperor, The Hongwu Emperor, Taiping Tianguo, The Yongle Emperor, The Daoguang Emperor, The Guangxu Emperor,  The Hongwu Emperor, The Yongzheng Emperor, Ming Ming, The Kangxi Emperor, The Wanli Emperor and the last Emperor Puyi.  

As Canton was not under the control of the Taiping, 太平, the inclusion of this coin strikes a very rare bold seditious note, perhaps. It must have been inserted in honor of the commissioning client. 
Coins in this context must be symbolic of the wealth generated through trade. The "bamboo", a richly significant oriental motif, is meaningful here, in its quality as a  homonym with the Chinese word "to wish".
Inside there is a hinged pewter tea container. The top has engraved depictions of the Immortals.

The quality of work is usually  associated with Chinese  lacquer exported in the early 19th Century. The presence of some of the coins of the last Emperor's indicates that the tea caddy was made at the end of the 19th Century.   

Puyi's  宣統 abdication in 1912 marked the end of millennia of dynastic rule in China and thus he is known throughout the world by the sobriquet , nickname, "The Last Emperor" of China. 

Origin: China;  Circa: 1900; Materials: lacquer on wood:  Pewter Liner. 

Size: 28 cm wide by 20  cm by  16 cm:  11.1 inches wide by  7.9 inches by  6.3  inches.

Condition: good overall; working lock and key;  some shrinkage to top with slight losses: see images

Request current  list of available sewing boxes with prices.
Request current  list of available writing boxes with prices.
Request current  list of available jewelry boxes with prices.
Request current  list of available tea caddies with prices.

boxes@hygra.com

Thanks to David Tomsett  (Cathaytrader) who helped me to recognize some of the coins. 

1

The Jiaqing Emperor

嘉 慶

 (Chinese: 嘉慶帝; pinyin: Jiāqìngdì;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
/Jiaqing_Emperor

1796-1820

2

 Ning and  Manchurian script 

寕 Ning = peace 

 

3

The Prince of Tang

紹 武

 (唐王, ?-1647) reigned as the Shaowu (紹武) Emperor of the Southern Ming dynasty from 1646-1647. His era name means "Martial thread". His personal name was Zhu Yuyuè (朱聿ਮ?;^[1] pinyin: Zhū Yùyue).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Zhu_Yuyue,_Prince_of_Tang

 

 

lung-wu at top

rather than shao-wu

4

Translates to "Fountain Head of Currency"

Manchurian script 

5

The Qianlong Emperor

乾 隆

 (Mandarin pronunciation: [tɕʰi̯ɛ̌n lu̯ə̌ŋ tɨ̂]) (Chinese: 乾隆帝; pinyin: Qiánlóngdì;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qianlong_Emperor

 

6

Translates to "Fountain Head of Currency"

Manchurian script 

Translates to "Peking Board of Revenue"

See:
uri.edu/artsci/his/mua/
teaching/chinese-coin-exercise.pdf 

7

The Hongwu Emperor (Chinese: 洪 武

帝; Wade–Giles: Hung-wu Ti; 21 October 1328 – 24 June 1398), known variably by his given name Zhu Yuanzhang (Chinese: 朱元璋; Wade–Giles: Chu Yuan-chang) and by his temple name Taizu of Ming (Chinese: 明太祖; literally "Great Ancestor of Ming"), was the founder and first emperor of the Ming Dynasty of China. His era name, Hongwu, means "vastly martial".

http://en.wikipedia.org/

wiki/Hongwu_Emperor

 

http://www.hkartclub.com/coin

/chinesecash/hongwu_obvd.jpg 

8

Bai =100

Fu =happiness, blessings

9

The Qianlong Emperor (Mandarin pronunciation: [tɕʰi̯ɛ̌n lu̯ə̌ŋ tɨ̂]) (Chinese: 乾 隆

帝; pinyin: Qiánlóngdì;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qianlong_Emperor

Ta-tung Mint

 

 

10

Manchurian script 

 

11

Taiping Tianguo or 

Tai Ping Tian Guo (simplified Chinese: 

太 平

天国; traditional Chinese: 太平天國; pinyin: Tài Píng Tiān Guó

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiping_Tianguo

See also:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiping_Rebellion

Hong Xiuquan led the Taiping Rebellion against the Qing Dynasty, establishing the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom over varying portions of southern China, with himself as the "Heavenly King" and self-proclaimed brother of Jesus Christ.

see: wikipedia.org/wiki/
Hong_Xiuquan 

12

Dong and  Manchurian script 

 東 Dong = East

1

Chang ? Ya? and  Manchurian  script 

雅 Ya = Refined or excellent 

2

 

wrong

at bottom character = Yong =everlasting  

The Yongle Emperor (Traditional Chinese: 

永樂; 

Simplified Chinese: 永乐; pinyin: Yǒnglè; Wade-Giles: Yung-lo; IPA: [jʊ̀ŋlɤ̂]) (2 May 1360 – 12 August 1424), born Zhu Di (Chu Ti), was the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty of China from 1402 to 1424. His Chinese era name Yongle means "Perpetual Happiness".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yongle_Emperor 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

Manchurian  script 

4

 

The Daoguang Emperor (Chinese: 

道光

帝, pinyin: Dàoguāngdì, Wade-Giles: Tao-kuang; Manchu: ᡩᠣᡵᠣ ᡝᠯᡩᡝᠩᡤᡝ, Doro Eldengge Hūwangdi; 16 September 1782 – 25

http://en.wikipedia.org/

wiki/Daoguang_Emperor

5

寕 Ning = peace 

6

This must be readable!

The vertical characters read

仁  Ren = benevolence 

義 YI; 

These are key concepts in Confucian thought:  Ren Yi =righteousness

The horizontal: Zhi (Je)  Knowledge

 Li= ritual etiquette  

7

子

pronounced Zi can mean character as in Chinese character or a child!

山 Shan  = mountain

8

The Guangxu Emperor

光 緒

 (14 August 1871 – 14 November 1908), born Zaitian of the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan, was the eleventh emperor of the Qing Dynasty, and the ninth Qing emperor to rule over China. His reign lasted from 1875 to 1908, but in practice he ruled, under Empress Dowager Cixi's influence, only from 1889 to 1898. He initiated the Hundred Days' Reform, but was abruptly stopped when Cixi launched a coup in 1898, after which he was put under house arrest until his death. His regnal name means "glorious succession".
http://en.wikipedia.org/

wiki/Guangxu_Emperor 

 

http://museumvictoria.com.au/collections/

items/1346116/coin-cash-emperor-kuang

-hsu-qing-dynasty-china-circa-1890

Cash, Issued by Emperor: Khuang-hsu, Hupeh Province, China, 1875-1908

9

Manchurian  script

10

Puyi  

宣 統

(7 February 1906 – 17 October 1967), of the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan, was the last Emperor of China,

When he ruled as Emperor of the Qing Dynasty from 1908 to 1912 and during his brief restoration in 1917, Puyi's era name was Xuantong, so he was known as the Xuantong Emperor (simplified Chinese: 宣统皇帝; traditional Chinese: 宣統皇帝; pinyin: Xuāntǒng Huángdì) during those two periods of time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puyi 

http://www.britishmuseum.org/
research/collection_online/
collection_object_details/
collection_image_
gallery.aspx?assetId=
300385&objectId=3002830&partId=1

• Production date: 1909-1911
• Production place: Beijing

1

The Daoguang Emperor

道 光

 (Chinese: 道光帝, pinyin: Dàoguāngdì, Wade-Giles: Tao-kuang; Manchu: ᡩᠣᡵᠣ ᡝᠯᡩᡝᠩᡤᡝ, Doro Eldengge Hūwangdi; 16 September 1782 – 25

http://en.wikipedia.org/

wiki/Daoguang_Emperor

2

fushi wellbeing

富士

A  successful scholar 

3

The Hongwu Emperor (Chinese: 

洪 武

帝; Wade–Giles: Hung-wu Ti; 21 October 1328 – 24 June 1398), known variably by his given name Zhu Yuanzhang (Chinese: 朱元璋; Wade–Giles: Chu Yuan-chang) and by his temple name Taizu of Ming (Chinese: 明太祖; literally "Great Ancestor of Ming"), was the founder and first emperor of the Ming Dynasty of China. His era name, Hongwu, means "vastly martial".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hongwu_Emperor 

4

Manchurian script and 

河   he = a river

 

5

The Yongzheng Emperor (Chinese: 

雍 正

帝; pinyin: yōngzhèngdì; Wade–Giles: Yung Cheng Ti, Manchu: ᡥᡡᠸᠠᠯᡳᠶᠠᠰᡠᠨ ᡨᠣᠪ, Hūwaliyasun Tob hūwangdi, Mongolian:Nairalt Töv Khaan; 13 December 1678 – 8 October 1735), born Yinzhen (Chinese: 胤禛; pinyin: yìnzhēn ; Manchu language: ᡳᠨ ᠵᡝᠨ ; Möllendorff transliteration: in jen),

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Yongzheng_Emperor

/china/china8.htm#yung cheng

6

Manchurian script and

寕 Ning = peace 

The Prince of Tang (唐王, ?-1647) reigned as the Shaowu (

紹 武

) Emperor of the Southern Ming dynasty from 1646-1647. His era name means "Martial thread". His personal name was Zhu Yuyuè (朱聿ਮ?;^[1] pinyin: Zhū Yùyue).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
/Zhu_Yuyue,_Prince_of_Tang

 

see above

the character 武 is the same.

 

8

挂  Gua

to hang up, to hitch, to suspend, to hang, hang up

9

The Daoguang Emperor

道 光

  (Chinese: 道光帝, pinyin: Dàoguāngdì, Wade-Giles: Tao-kuang; Manchu: ᡩᠣᡵᠣ ᡝᠯᡩᡝᠩᡤᡝ, Doro Eldengge Hūwangdi; 16 September 1782 – 25

http://en.wikipedia.org/

wiki/Daoguang_Emperor

10

Manchurian script

Emperor Gao Zong ruled under the reign title Qian Long from 1736 to 1795.  He abdicated the throne after sixty years in favor of his son Jia Qing as a sign of respect to not reign longer that his grandfather Kang Xi.

http://primaltrek.com/chinesecoins.html 

11

Ming Ming

明

命

here has the inscription Minh Mang Thong Bao (Chinese: ming ming tong bao 明命通宝) which was used on coins cast during the reign (1820-1840) of King Nguyen Thanh To of the Nguyen Dynasty.

http://primaltrek.com/blog

/2011/11/29/the-huainanzi-and-vietnamese-coins/ 

 

12

Chang  + Manchurian script

昌 Chang = Initiative to sing!

 

1

康 熙 

帝

The Kangxi Emperor (Kang-hsi Emperor; Chinese: 康熙帝; pinyin: Kāngxī Dì; Wade–Giles: K'ang¹-hsi¹ Ti⁴; temple name: Shengzu (Sheng-tsu; Chinese: 聖祖; which means "The Holy Lord"); Manchu: elhe taifin hūwangdi; Mongolian: Enkh Amgalan Khaan; 4 May 1654 – 20 December 1722) was the fourth emperor of the Qing Dynasty,^[1][2] the first to be born on Chinese soil south of the Pass (Beijing) and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, from 1661 to 1722.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://primaltrek.com/
charmfeatures.html 

http://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Kangxi_Emperor 

2

3

4

Manchurian script

5

6

Manchurian script

7

8

 Xuan li

9

The Yongzheng Emperor (Chinese: 

雍 正

帝; pinyin: yōngzhèngdì; Wade–Giles: Yung Cheng Ti, Manchu: ᡥᡡᠸᠠᠯᡳᠶᠠᠰᡠᠨ ᡨᠣᠪ, Hūwaliyasun Tob hūwangdi, Mongolian:Nairalt Töv Khaan; 13 December 1678 – 8 October 1735), born Yinzhen (Chinese: 胤禛; pinyin: yìnzhēn ; Manchu language: ᡳᠨ ᠵᡝᠨ ; Möllendorff transliteration: in jen),

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yongzheng_Emperor

10

The Wanli Emperor (simplified Chinese: 万历; traditional Chinese:

  萬 曆

; pinyin: Wànlì; Wade–Giles: Wan-li) (4 September 1563 – 18 August 1620) was emperor of China (Ming dynasty) between 1572 and 1620. His era name means "Ten thousand calendars". Born Zhu Yijun, he was the Longqing Emperor's third son. His rule of forty-eight years was the longest in the Ming dynasty and it witnessed the steady decline of the dynasty.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wanli_Emperor 

11

 

    Ning and  Manchurian script 

寕 Ning = peace 

 

12

Manchurian script

13

This must be readable!

14

Manchurian script +

 

1

雅 Ya  to flash, to show.

and Manchurian script

2

Kuang Yong

and this means!

3

Manchurian  script

4

The Daoguang Emperor

道 光

  (Chinese: 道光帝, pinyin: Dàoguāngdì, Wade-Giles: Tao-kuang; Manchu: ᡩᠣᡵᠣ ᡝᠯᡩᡝᠩᡤᡝ, Doro Eldengge Hūwangdi; 16 September 1782 – 25

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/

wiki/Daoguang_Emperor

5

Ning and Manchurian script

    Ning and  Manchurian script 

寕 Ning = peace 

 

6

仁  Ren yi
Benevolence, virtue,
Fu-Zhi Knowledge
Abundant knowledge Fu = abundant
This does not appear to be a Reign Mark

7

Shan ZI

上 Shang = above

子 zi  = son

8

The Guangxu Emperor

Traditional Chinese  

光 緒

 帝

 (14 August 1871 – 14 November 1908), born Zaitian of the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan, was the eleventh emperor of the Qing Dynasty, and the ninth Qing emperor to rule over China. His reign lasted from 1875 to 1908, but in practice he ruled, under Empress Dowager Cixi's influence, only from 1889 to 1898. He initiated the Hundred Days' Reform, but was abruptly stopped when Cixi launched a coup in 1898, after which he was put under house arrest until his death. His regnal name means "glorious succession".

Simplified Chinese 光绪帝

http://museumvictoria.com.au/collections/

items/1346116/coin-cash-emperor-kuang

-hsu-qing-dynasty-china-circa-1890

Cash, Issued by Emperor: Khuang-hsu, Hupeh Province, China, 1875-1908

9

Manchurian script

10

Puyi (7 February 1906 – 17 October 1967), of the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan, was the last Emperor of China,When he ruled as Emperor of the Qing Dynasty from 1908 to 1912 and during his brief restoration in 1917, Puyi's era name was Xuantong, so he was known as the Xuantong Emperor (simplified Chinese: 宣统皇帝; traditional Chinese: 宣統皇帝; pinyin: Xuāntǒng Huángdì) during those two periods of time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puyi