Lidded box with a scene of two lions playing with balls

By the sixteenth century, Ming emperors preferred multicolor lacquerware with single-color layers built over the basic ground in a contrasting color. As seen in this box, a flat red background is visible beneath black motifs. The decoration on the lid presents a father lion and his cub playing with brocade balls. The Chinese word for lion is a pun on the word for teacher or master; this scene, together with the Eight Treasures, including coins, lozenges, a rhinoceros horn, and long ribbons, implies a wish for high rank, wealth, and longevity.