This inlaid Chinese box which maybe was once part of the Japanese collections of Shoso-in in Nara, attests to the great achievements made in the decorative arts at the peak of the Tang dynasty and especially during the reign of Xuanzong (r. 712–56), when such objects were the gifts of choice for official exchanges between the empires of Japan and China. It also provides an excellent illustration of the peak attained in craftsmanship, characterised by the elegance of an ornamental repertoire that gradually extended to the production of all luxury goods – precious mirrors, silks and jewellery – and spread towards Sassanid Persia and Japan alike.