13.3 cm (height) × 8.3 cm (mouth length) × 3.8 cm (mouth width)
Painted enamelware involved newly introduced techniques from the West during the Kangxi period of the Qing dynasty. By the Yongzheng period, enamel production had reached new heights, and some works began to be influenced by Japanese art. Because Emperor Yongzheng (1678–1735, reigned 1723–1735) admired Japanese maki-e lacquerware, he ordered Imperial Workshops artisans to not only imitate it but to also incorporate its forms, patterns, and decorative styles into other crafts. This “Copper String-joined Stacked Box with Cloud pattern on a Black Ground in Painted Enamels,” an oval double-tiered container, exemplifies this artistic exchange. The exterior is covered in black glaze with vibrant multicolored cloud motifs, while the interior is coated with a pale blue glaze. The base features a white rectangular panel framed by blue scroll patterns, inscribed with the mark “Made during the Yongzheng reign” in red characters. Both the shape and glaze of this box mimic the Japanese maki-e inrō. Inrō was originally a Japanese container for carrying medicine and small personal items. By the Edo period, it had evolved into an accessory worn on the waist by samurai and wealthy young men.
This box not only replicates the inrō form but also creatively modifies its cord threading design by exposing the yellow silk cord that would normally be hidden inside each tier. Furthermore, instead of using the lavish gold and silver powder decorations typical of maki-e, the Qing artisans transformed them into soft, rising multicolored clouds, offering a fresh visual appeal. This piece exemplifies how the Qing imperial court drew inspiration from other artistic traditions while innovating beyond mere imitation, producing unique and ingenious works of art.