Two circular, Chinese lacquer boxes and lids dating from the Qing dynasty. One box is red with a depiction of a male guardian lion and clouds on its lid. Its interior is painted with black lacquer. The other box has a gold dragon and cloud design on its lid. Inside its lid and base are 2-character marks. Provenance: largest box measures 3 1/8 inches tall X 5 inches wide; 7.9 cm tall X 12.7 cm wide. All measurements are approximate. Condition: The smaller box and lid have overall surface wear with chipping of the lacquer and finish around the rims. The lid has cracks along its rim. The larger box and lid are in better condition with wear to the lacquer and paint on the rims and top surface. The inside of the base of the box has a small chip and a crack. Provenance: From the old collection of Mr. William Wu, San Francisco, USA. William Wu (1939-2007) was born in Shanghai and moved to Hong Kong with his family when he was young. In 1957, he was admitted to the Department of Philosophy at Princeton University. Because of his interest in history, in 1979 he received a doctorate in art history from Princeton University focusing on the Chinese artist Gong Xian. After graduation, he was successively employed as a professor of art history at Dartmouth, Oberlin, and other colleges. He later settled in San Francisco, California, where he presided over the Chinese Cultural Center, held regular cultural exhibitions, and devoted himself to introducing Chinese culture and artists to Western audiences. During the 1980s, he traveled between San Francisco and Shanghai and became an important bridge for cultural and artistic exchanges. Professor William Wu and the famous movie star Jet Li are distant relatives, and he was a great help in the early years of Jet Li's career development. Mr. Wu maintained contact with Jet Li during his life.