A CHINESE CLOISONNE ENAMEL ICE CHEST
The chests would have been filled with ice and used in the hot summer months to cool drinks and food, as well as cooling the surrounding area. The pierced covers allowed cooled air to escape, which would then be fanned into the rooms by servants.A similarly decorated chest but of the Qianlong period, in the Palace Museum Beijing, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Metal-bodied Enamel Ware, Hong Kong, 2002, pl. 129.
Dimension: 75x75x77 cm. Weight 50000 grams.

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