Gilt Metal and Agate Casket with Watch

Gilt metal casket with agate panels, opening to a reverse glass painted panel of two women in a pastoral setting. Separate gilt-metal tray is stamped with a Chinese character. The watch is fitted into the lid. The case was probably originally fitted with a musical movement.

This casket is very similar to a group of caskets which have been identified as both English and Chinese including an almost identical one in the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing. Although in the manner of James Cox, the quality and finishing of the materials is not European. We can conclude that these pieces were made in China for the Chinese market, imitating the exquisite pieces by Cox in agate, ormolu and gold. An excellent example of the hybrid of European and Chinese craft.