Covered box with hibiscus and grapevines

This box exemplifies the highest quality cloisonné enamel produced by the imperial Ming workshop. In addition to the stylized lotus scrolls, which frequently appear on earlier works, the object features a naturalistic depiction of flowers and fruit. Subtle color variations on the leaves reflect a sophisticated process whereby the artist mixed yellow, green, and red enamels. The motifs date this piece to the mid-fifteenth century, most likely the Jingtai era (1450–57), a golden age of cloisonné production in China.