Chinese Chinoiserie Blue Willow Shard Box Set of 9

A set of nine small metal-mounted shard boxes, each set with a fragment of blue and white Willow pattern ceramic, this Chinoiserie grouping is as much a conversation piece as it is a collector's treasure, the combination of the metal mounts with the ceramic shard inserts giving each box a jewel-like quality that makes the set a distinctive and unusual decorative object.

Produced circa the 1960s, this set of nine shard boxes belongs to the tradition of decorative objects made from fragments of antique or vintage ceramics mounted in metal settings, a tradition that has its origins in the 18th-century European practice of mounting Chinese porcelain fragments in silver or gilt metal to create decorative objects of considerable value and interest. The blue and white Willow pattern ceramic shards, each set into a small metal-mounted box, bring the classic Chinoiserie landscape of willow trees, pagodas, bridges, and birds to a miniature scale that gives the familiar pattern a new intimacy and decorative interest. The nine boxes together, each slightly different in the fragment of pattern it displays, create a grouping of considerable visual richness. Each box measures approximately 3 cm tall and 5 cm wide, and all nine pieces are in very good condition throughout.

• Set: 9 pieces
• Dimensions (each): 3 cm (H) x 5 cm (W)
• Condition: Very Good
• Features: Metal-mounted boxes, blue and white Willow pattern ceramic shard inserts, Chinoiserie style
• Period: Circa 1960s
• SKU: SKU-00251

A rare and delightful set for the collector of blue and white ceramics or Chinoiserie decorative objects. Pairs naturally with the Blue and White Chinese Porcelain Prunus Cracked Ice Ginger Jar (SKU-00273) and the wider Blue Willow collection.