box

A square wooden box with a square lid, which is attached at the back with two metal hinges, and is formed of a piece of wood within a frame. There is an incised inscription on top of the lid in the form of four characters. The inside of the lid is lined with paper, on which is an inscription in pencil which reads 'Obedient to Heaven I supplicate my fate', which is a translation of the inscription on the lid. Inside the box near the front is a wooden divider, within which is a piece of wood with edging on three of the sides.

It is suggested that this box would have contained an important item or items conferred by the Emperor, such as a document of rights or similar.

Collection Information

These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.

The database retains language taken from historical documents to help research. Please note that some records may feature language and reflect systems of thinking that are outdated and offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.

If you have any further information about objects in our collections, can suggest corrections to our information or if you see content requiring immediate action, please contact us: enquiry@horniman.ac.uk