Box 1725 - 1735

These delicate porcelain boxes, made by the Meissen Manufactory, offer a glimpse into the 18th-century European fascination with Asia. During this time, porcelain was like gold; a coveted material. The Meissen factory was at the forefront of imitating Chinese porcelain, thus the decoration on these boxes, featuring idealized landscapes with pagodas and stylized trees, reflects the aesthetic of “chinoiserie”—a European interpretation of Chinese motifs. These boxes speak to the complex dynamics of cultural appropriation and trade during the Enlightenment. While Europeans admired and sought to replicate Chinese artistry, this was often done through a lens of exoticization. The intimate scale of the boxes invites us to consider who might have owned and used them. Were they markers of wealth and status, symbols of a globalized world, or personal objects imbued with dreams of a faraway land? In the end these boxes capture the desires, fantasies, and economic forces that shaped the 18th century.