• Dimension: Length: 4 3/8 in (11.1 cm) Width: 2 3/4 in (7 cm)
• Estimate From: $12000
• Estimate To: $20000

The double gourd is delicately modelled in gold wire as ground, the exterior finely inlaid with gems and enamels of various tones, including turquoise, lapis lazuli, agate, and tourmaline, to form two stylized shou character and smaller gourds borne on meandering stems. Qing Dynasty period.

蓋盒取純金累絲而成，上鑲百寶，壓腰葫蘆形。上下分別鑲嵌青金石“壽”字，底部鑲嵌三顆尺寸碩大的紅寶石，葫蘆內側沿邊螺絲如意形燒藍一周。其色鮮艷動人，造型舒展灑麗，寓意吉祥。整器金碧生輝，色彩鮮明，工藝精巧，非皇家禦用之物不可望其項背，頂級選料加之宮廷花絲鑲嵌工藝，堪稱罕見奇珍。花絲鑲嵌之物歷來價值不菲。清雍正七年十月十六日，養心殿造辦處就曾記錄下這樣一份檔案：“太監劉希文交來：鑲嵌金累絲年年富貴簪一對，嵌珠四粒、紅寶石二塊，鑲嵌金累絲蘭花簪一對，嵌珠四粒、寶石二塊，梅花簪一對，葫蘆簪一對，每支嵌珠六粒，寶石二塊。傳旨：此簪做法甚好，著照此樣做些用，欽此。”這裏的“鑲嵌金累絲”指的就是花絲鑲嵌工藝。作為中國獨有的金銀加工技藝，“花絲鑲嵌”歷經了千年歲月的沈澱和洗禮。由於其用料過於珍奇，工藝極度復雜，歷史上向來是皇家禦用之物，只能由宮廷制作，成為財富與權力的象征。該葫蘆形蓋盒選料上乘，巧奪天工，正是此中極品。