Loading

Tiered box with hydrangea design in mother-of-pearl inlay and maki-e

UnknownEdo period (17th century)

Suntory Museum of Art

Suntory Museum of Art
Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan

This four-tiered box has a shallow lid. A hydrangea bush is arranged in the foreground against an arched bridge with ornamental caps on the bridge posts, in a design that flows over all four sides and the top of the lid. The water is rendered with a sense of speed and three dimensionality through subtle changes in the thickness of the lines; the waves splashing against the bridge supports create a rhythm contrasting with that of the course of the stream and adding variety to this depiction of water. The box is entirely covered in black lacquer, over which gold flat maki-e was mainly used to create the design, with kakiwari (a technique emphasizing design motifs by sprinkling gold dust on wet lacquer) used on the leaf veins and edges and needle engraving used on the bridge.

Details

  • Title: Tiered box with hydrangea design in mother-of-pearl inlay and maki-e
  • Creator: Unknown
  • Date Created: Edo period (17th century)
  • Location Created: Japan
  • Physical Dimensions: w225 x h250 x d205 cm
  • Object Title (Japanese): 紫陽花螺鈿蒔絵重箱
  • Object Date (English): Edo period (17th century)
  • Category (Japanese): 漆工
  • Artist Name (Japanese): 不明
  • Type: Lacquerware
  • Rights: Suntory Museum of Art, Suntory Museum of Art

Get the app

Explore museums and play with Art Transfer, Pocket Galleries, Art Selfie, and more

Flash this QR Code to get the app
Google apps