Silvered Tibetan Dragon Storage Chest - 18th Century Tables where the preparation and offering

where the preparation and offering of paan was a gesture of hospitality and refinement

Guizhou Province is in the South of China - not far from the Vietnam and Laos borders

desk tidy or a stand alone decorative ornament

with roots stretching back centuries

Silvered Tibetan Dragon Storage Chest - 18th Century Tables where the preparation and offeringThis very decorative monastic chest is from Central Tibet and dates to the 18th century. Unusually this piece has a silver background instead of the more popular gold. Often silvered boxes are coated with a yellow varnish to imitate gold. Silvered boxes are very uncommon. The main feature is a single four claw dragon holding wish granting cintamani jewels which represent wisdom. The front facing dragon clearly emulates the Chinese Imperial dragons.