Vintage Chinese Carved Bone “Abundant Fish” Jewelry Box

$72.00

Object reference: BRU-7580038631

Object details

Approx. 8 × 4 × 3.5 cm (3.15 × 1.57 × 1.38 in)
Carved bone or bone composite; hinged construction
China, likely circa 1970s–1990s

Listed measurements and attributions are supplied records, not independent verification. Ask for confirmation if essential to your purchase.

Condition

Vintage surface wear, natural variation, scattered dark specks, and minor edge irregularities consistent with age and hand finishing. Please review all images.

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Delivery & returns

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The story

A small keeper of abundance.

Four fish move through carved waves across the lid of this intimate jewelry box, recalling the Chinese blessing nian nian you yu—may there be abundance year after year. Made to hold rings, keepsakes, or a private note, it brings a quiet symbolic presence to a dressing table or collected interior.

Fish have long carried wishes for prosperity, harmony, and life in continuous motion. Here, openwork carving lets light pass through the lid while floral lines and raised feet give the compact form the feeling of a miniature architectural object.

Attribution note

Visually assessed as a late-20th-century Chinese export or decorative box assembled from carved animal-bone panels. It is not described as ivory. Exact animal species and date have not been laboratory tested.