Japanese or Chines What is it ?

Picked up this curious piece in two halves and painted glass on one side .It looks like it is wrapped in copper silver plated with dragons around the outside .The picture looks painted on the back of one piece showing a group of men and theres some writing in the picture .Size is approx 5 inches across and has a piece that fits into it but have no idea what it is ./

 

At first glance it looks like an inkstone, but it's hard to be sure. Does the black piece lift out?

I'd take a very good magnifying glass to that picture on the front. Something makes me suspect it's printed.

 

How large is it? It may be a stamp-pad. It would've been filled with red cinnabar paste, and would've served as a pad for pressing Asian seals into, before applying the seal to paper for signing documents. Such dishes are often circular.

 

Hi it's 105mm across made of glass think it's silver plated over copper some bleeding .The curious thing is I can see the picture from the front more detail if it's wet. But can't see the picture through the glass holding it to the light and Dragons round both pieces no marks.

 

If the piece to the left is an inkstone, then there'll be a depression at one side to collect the ink. It looks like there is a depression around 2 o'clock, but again I can't be clear based on that photo.

(Good photos, from all angles, are critical if you want good advice here; otherwise we're just guessing. I see what looks to be a yellow varnished image of some sort on your first photo, and that yellow varnish -- if that's what it is -- is a hallmark of a modern fake.)

 

Some more photos .

 

Looks like the dragons are a phoenix and a dragon. Yin and yang in balance.

 

I can't make sense of the object as a whole with that image on the front, but yes, the inside does look like an inkstone.

It'd be pretty surprising to find a cinnabar inkpot sooty like this, without a hint of vermillion anywhere.