Blue and White Porcelain Stacking Box

This early 20th-century blue and white porcelain container is a Chinese play on traditional Japanese stacking boxes called jubako. Each layer contained foods to celebrate Japanese New Years, each with special meanings and wishes such as good health, happiness, wealth, and longevity. This porcelain version is much smaller and was likely gifted as a keepsake, used to store seals, jewelry, and precious personal objects. The sides of the box are adorned with scenes of crickets in a garden, an emblem of courage and summertime, and of children at play, a traditional motif that implies marital blessings, abundance, and happiness. Each layer is painted with blue and white decorations depicting mythical figures and auspicious symbols, and an erotic spring palace painting lies hidden beneath the lid - a cheeky surprise for those who peek inside.