“Accessories, perhaps more than anything else, tell the story of daily life in the Qing Dynasty and the unique sense of form that makes Chinese antiques so compelling and delightful. From bins, pots, baskets, jewelry boxes, to food containers, birdcages and calligraphy brushes. …there is a rich variety of these smaller items and they speak volumes. Red wedding baskets were taken to a bride on her wedding day and contained food or a small gift; birdcages came in small, delicate sizes so grandfathers could take their pet birds for a walk. Document boxes designed to double as pillows, so that travelers could sleep on their valuables. Clever jewelry boxes reveal both a hidden mirror and hidden compartments. But more than utility, these accessories display wonderful shapes. The wedding baskets with hour glass handles. The rice measures shaped somewhat like a beehive. Necklace boxes in the form of a doughnut!”