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I have a large lacquer box 8"x8"x7". The outside is orange with black detail. The inside is black. Someone on another forum said it may be Japanese. Does anyone here have any info or suggestions? Thanks!

I would suggest that it looks more like Burmese or Northern Thailand.

Thanks Mike in Thailand, would this be an item still made? It seems to have some age. It has an old label on the back from Pitts and Scott London. The only thing I can find on them is that they were a company that did international moving of high priced art items.

Burmese lacquer ware....

As Mike mentioned, your box probably is Thai or Burmese. The Shan people of Burma, who are from the same ethnic Tai group as the Thai and Lao, are responsible for a lot of the lacquer ware that comes across Burma's northern borders and winds up in foreign hands as Burmese. The two orange "hsun ok" storage boxes shown in my picture underneath an altar table are examples of old Shan wares that were being sold to Diplomats in Rangoon in the 1980's by itinerant peddlers. The lids (their tips partly hidden as shown here) are meant to resemble Buddhist stupas. They're formed of wood strips and woven bamboo coated with lacquer.

Your lacquer box has a look about it that reminds me of 'dry lacquer'. This is a technique that is used to make lacquer objects using molds and strips of fabric that are coated in lacquer and pressed into the molds to dry before finishing. Buddhas have been made by this methods over the ages, including those shown at the forum link below.

Best regards,

Bill H.



URL Title :DryLacquerBuddha

The lacquer ware being made today is of a much more decorative style, as shown in Bill H first photo. I would guess that these are from the lat 19th to early 20th century and probably as Bill said made of the dry lacquer process as apposed to lacquer over bamboo.

Thanks Mike, David, & Bill for the information, photos and links! These were really helpful! I never had any idea what went into crafting these items. This is my first piece of Lacquer ware. I purchased it because of the interesting shape/color. So anyone have an idea on value?

I took this to a auction appraisal today... where the lady said these items are not worth anything. She also thought the label on the bottom from the shipping company was the company who made it. What a waste of time... all she did was look at a computer.... dear god... I can do that myself!! I thought these people had some knowledge...wow was I mistaken!

Rea, Most local auction houses have no idea of Asian antiques. I would have paid $50 - $75 for this when I had the shop and sold it for about $150. That was in St. Louis, Mo. Not known for its appreciation of Asian antiques.

Mike, this was a large Dallas,Texas auction house. She also told me that anything Satsuma has lost market value. Told me I should put my items on e-bay for under 100 dollars. I was only trying to get a sense of value not give them away on eBay! I guess I will have to find someone who specializes in Asian Art here in the US !

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