Tu'unda-bon Tray with Design of Figures and Landscape in Haku-e and 43 Items (Ryukyuan Lacquerware)

Ryukyuan lacquerware is an art and craft that is typical of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Lacquerware items were used during the Ryukyu Kingdom era when entertaining Chinese investiture envoys and as tributary gifts to China. Among these, the Tu’unda-bon tray is a typical Ryukyuan lacquerware with such shapes as square (5 items), hexagon (7 items), octagon (9 items), and circular.
Small plates contained inside the tray are beautiful in color and shape, and they are placed inside to match the number of guests for serving side dishes to accompany good quality sake. Typical side dishes are minudaru (pork steamed with sesame sauce), taumu (taro), and karaage (deep-fried food).
Ryukyuan lacquerware items are on permanent display at the Urasoe Art Museum, the only “lacquer museum” in Okinawa.
Prefectural/Municipal designated cultural property (art and craft)