The charms of the chinese firecracker Box

Folk arts have long flourished in China.

The two paintings on mulberry paper shown here represent a relatively minor genre: the hand-painted firecracker box lid. Averaging 7 to 9 inches square, the paintings depict scenes from well-known tales in vivid colors complemented by texturized golden foil. It’s possible that the original lids were larger, and only the panels above have survived, preserved, perhaps, for their beauty.

Not all firecracker boxes were this elaborate. Some were made of plain cardboard. The panels above were probably made in Foshan (Cantonese: Fatshan), a city in southern China’s Guangdong province. A century or more ago, Foshan specialized in various crafts, including the hand-painting of firecracker boxes using what was probably egg tempera paint. In our era of mass production, it might seem foolish to devote so much energy to something so ephemeral as a firecracker box. But not to the Chinese.

Who painted the boxes and under what circumstances, I do not know - but it stands to reason that somewhere in the vast Chinese textual record, the production has been documented in detail.

I share these photos here as artifacts from a particular moment in time - and to admire, yet again, the majestic scope of human creativity, which makes such a lot from a little. I find it reassuring to remember the good in human nature, when all day long through digital media, we learn of the bad.

I vote for the good. For art. For artifacts. The urge to create. Visible here. All around us.