h. 1.75 x w. 6 x d. 4 in.
(h. 4.45 x w. 15.24 x d. 10.16 cm)
Credit Line
U.S. Senate Collection
Accession Number
71.00009.001
Object Description
This lapis lazuli box was accepted by a senator on behalf of the United States in 2004 as a gift from a government official of the Republic of Chile. The box features a hinged lid and is faced entirely in lapis lazuli, an ornamental stone mined in the Andes Mountains of Chile's Coquimbo Region. Prized for its dark-blue color, lapis lazuli was officially recognized as the national gemstone of Chile in 1984. As with all foreign gifts, its acceptance and use are governed by the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act (5 U.S.C. § 7342).
