Vintage Chinese Butterfly Lacquer Box, c. 1970s–1980s
Viridian Eclection
The Piece A vintage Chinese butterfly lacquer box, cut to the silhouette of a butterfly and finished in a glossy lacquer style surface. The lid is worked in geometric wing panels of deep burgundy, ...
The Piece
A vintage Chinese butterfly lacquer box, cut to the silhouette of a butterfly and finished in a glossy lacquer style surface. The lid is worked in geometric wing panels of deep burgundy, black, gold, cream and rose, which gives the piece a graphic, jewel like presence at small scale.
The box opens to a vivid pink satin style fabric lining, made for small keepsakes, jewelry, trinkets, sewing notions or simple decorative display.
The construction is a butterfly shaped hinged or lidded box, lacquer style outside, fabric lined within. Small, colorful and frankly decorative, it carries the export era look without pretending to any greater age.
History & Provenance
The underside retains a partial paper label marked The People's Republic of China, which places the box after the founding of the PRC in 1949.
The style, construction, satin lining, decorative patterning and export label are consistent with Chinese decorative boxes made for the Western export market in the later twentieth century. On that evidence the dating is circa 1970s to 1980s.
Butterfly form boxes of this kind were produced as small vanity, jewelry and keepsake pieces, combining bold color, lacquer style surfaces and hand finished decorative appeal. No individual maker or workshop mark is visible, so the box is properly described as a vintage circa 1970s to 1980s Chinese butterfly lacquer box, marked Made in The People's Republic of China.
Product Details
| Object | Decorative box or keepsake box |
| Era | c. 1970s to 1980s |
| Style | Chinese export, vintage lacquer style decorative |
| Origin | The People's Republic of China |
| Maker | Unmarked and unidentified |
| Materials | Lacquered wood or wood composition with fabric lining |
| Color and Finish | Burgundy, black, gold, cream, rose and pink with a glossy lacquer style finish |
| Interior | Bright pink satin style fabric lining |
| Construction | Butterfly shaped hinged or lidded box with lacquer style exterior and fabric lined interior |
| Marks | Partial underside label reads The People's Republic of China |
| Dimensions | To be confirmed |
| Condition | Vintage condition with age related surface wear, small scuffs, finish variation, edge wear and wear to the underside label. The interior lining is present and the lid and body are intact |
| Best Use | Jewelry storage, keepsake box, vanity display, sewing notions, shelf styling or decorative tabletop accent |
Why It Belongs in Your Home
The box brings color, pattern and a note of playful elegance to a shelf, a vanity, a dressing table or a collected vignette. The butterfly shape gives it sculptural interest and the lacquer style decoration adds a layered, graphic quality.
Use it for jewelry, small keepsakes, pins, rings or notes, or simply as an object in its own right. The bright pink interior makes opening it a small piece of theater.
It reads well in a maximalist interior, a vintage vanity setup, an eclectic bookshelf or a layered tabletop display. Small but memorable, and the kind of thing that makes a room feel collected rather than assembled.
Every piece is packed with professional-grade materials: multiple foam layers, double-boxing, directional and fragile handling labels. For large furniture we use custom timber crating. We photograph packing before dispatch and can provide images on request.
White-glove delivery is complimentary within 100 miles of Reno, NV. National shipping quotes provided at checkout. All shipments are photographed and documented. Damage claims must be filed with the carrier; we provide all documentation needed to support your claim.
Local pickup is available at Viridian HQ (Reno, NV) with 2–4 days notice. Contact us to arrange. Private viewings also available.
All antique and vintage items are sold as described and all sales are final. Each listing includes detailed condition notes and photographs so you can make a fully informed decision. We encourage buyers to ask questions — about condition, dimensions, finish, provenance — before purchasing.
Antiques are irreplaceable and one-of-a-kind. Carrier handling is outside our control once a piece has left our facility, and major carriers including FedEx do not insure antiques. We do everything within our power to ensure safe transit, but cannot accept liability for carrier damage. If damage occurs in transit, we will provide full documentation to support your carrier claim.
Have a question? — we're happy to provide additional photos, condition detail, or discuss the piece directly.
