Both solid20k goldLate 19th Century, Qing dynastyWedding or jewellery boxesBoth embossed on all four sides with the twelve symbols of the Chinese (Zodiac) Calendar and the lid embossed with the sign of the Dragon and the Rabbit identifying each marriage partner, framed by a frieze of flowerhead;Maker's marks to the reverseThe one with dragons:6.7cm long x 5cm deep x 2.7cm high - 100grThe one with three rabbits:6.5cm long x 4.5cm deep x 2.4cm high - 88grProvenance:From the Jamshed & Parvati Fozdar Collection (Mr Jamshed Fozdar is the son of Mrs. Shirin Fozdar, one of the founders of Singapore and women’s rights activist);Acquired by the seller in 1956 from the Dowager Empress Hoang thi Cuc the mother of the abdicated Emperor Bao Dai of Vietnam. These two gold boxes were originally from China probably for some couple in that abdicated Emperor's family. While Bao Dai lived mostly in France, his mother lived in Hue (Vietnam) and passed away in 1985 at the age 90. In the mid1950s she sold off many of the Palace treasures and the owner acquired some of the collection. The owner kept the gold boxes in a vault since then, and these have been unseen from the public since the mid1950s.Note: