Red lacquer circular box, Yongle mark and period (1403-1424). Diameter: 22.2 cm. Given by Sir Harry and Lady Garner, FE.22&A-1974 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London 2017.

Circular red lacquer box carved with camellia branches on the top and five groups of flowers on the sides; the inside and the base are lacquered in black.

The red colour of this early 15th-century box was achieved by using cinnabar as a colouring agent. The intricate floral pattern was created by building up many layers of lacquer and then carving them.

Lacquer was a craft from East Asia. Chinese workers had been tapping the sap of the lacquer tree from about 3000 BC. The filtered and purified lacquer was then applied to a base, usually of wood, and coloured.