A 'qiang jin' lacquer foliate tray mark and period of Jiajing

in the form of a flower with eight lobes, the shallow rounded sides resting on a high foot of conforming shape, the exterior decorated in characteristic qiang jin technique with incised and gilt outlines with panels enclosing alternating sprays of camellia, aster, peony, lily, chrysanthemum, and other flowers, the foot encircled with a band of florets within gilt borders, the base with the six-character mark in a single vertical line

The term qiangjin refers to a technique of 'etched gold', where the incised outlines are etched in gold denoting the outlines of the design.  The qiangjin technique is often combined with the technique tianqi, 'filled-in', where different lacquer colours have been applied to enhance details and contrast against the coloured ground, as seen on the present lot.

See a similarly decorated 16th century small eight lobed box with flowering plants, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, illustrated in Sir Harry Garner, Chinese Lacquer, London, 1979, no. 139.