Each of these beautiful caskets is in the form of a butterfly; the decorative silver filigree encasing a plain gilt body.
The intricate art of filigree was first developed in China in the time of The Warring States (475BC-221BC) and reached its peak during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1795).
It was essentially the preserve of the imperial classes and created within the Beijing Palace Workshops.
These closed with the end of the Qing Dynasty and many craftsmen set up in individual workshops in the artistic quarter of southern Beijing.
