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Writing Box, Bugaku dance design in maki-e laquer

Hon'ami KōetsuEdo period, 17th century

Tokyo National Museum

Tokyo National Museum
Tokyo, Japan

This square writing box is of the over-lapping-lid style (kabusebuta-zukuri), with each corner of the lid cut off (sumikiri) and the shoulders beveled. It mostly follows the traditional style of writing boxes, as the water dropper and the inkstone are put on the left half of the minouchi (the inside of the box), while the nesting boxes (kakego) are on the right. The motifs related to bugaku (court dance and music) are pictured on both sides of the lid and the inside: a gong used in bugaku and a dancer with a bugaku hat and a dove staff are on the upper side of the lid, a folding fan and a bugaku costume on the reverse side and a bugaku hat and a shō (a traditional Japanese wind instrument) are on and under the nesting boxes. The compositions of all of the pictures are bold, with the motifs being exceptionally large. The details are expressed finely, even the patterns on the costume or the picture on the folding fan, with a variety of techniques including gold raised makie (takamakie), shell-inlay (raden), cut metal shapes (kirikane) and gold nacre (kanagai). Furthermore, the materials are also elaborate, such as gold sticks and lead plates for inlaying and gold tacks. These features could give an impression that this piece is relatively technique-oriented among Kōetsu's makie works. This piece was formerly owned by the Hachisuka clan, the feudal lord of Tokushima Han (today's Tokushima Prefecture), along with Senmen-torikabuto-makie-ryōshi bako (box for writing paper with a makie of aconite, Important Cultural Property, Tekisui Museum) and Nenohi-makie-tana (shelf with a makie of nenohi, Important Cultural Property, Tokyo National Museum).

Details

  • Title: Writing Box, Bugaku dance design in maki-e laquer
  • Creator: Hon'ami Koetsu
  • Creator Lifespan: 1558 - 1637
  • Date Created: Edo period, 17th century
  • Physical Dimensions: w217 x h50 x d228 mm
  • Object Title: 舞楽蒔絵硯箱
  • Object Notes(Japanese): 方形、角切、蓋の肩を削面とした被蓋造の箱で、身の内左半に水滴と硯を嵌め、右側に懸子を収めており、ほぼ伝統的な硯箱の形式をとっている。蓋表に鉦鼓・鳩杖と鳥兜を被った舞人の後姿、蓋裏に扇と舞楽装束、懸子と懸子下には鳥兜と笙と、蓋の表裏から見込みにかけて、舞楽にまつわる事物を表わす。図柄はいずれも、モティーフをクローズアップして捉えた大胆な構図である。金高蒔絵、螺鈿や金銀切金、金金貝などを用いて、装束の文様や扇面画などまで、緻密に描いている。さらに金棒や鉛板の象嵌、金鋲を交えるなど、材料に凝っており、光悦蒔絵としてはやや技巧が勝った印象がある。重要文化財の「扇面鳥兜蒔絵料紙箱」(滴翠美術館)、「子日蒔絵棚」(東京国立博物館)とともに、徳島藩主蜂須賀家に伝来した。
  • Object Date: 江戸時代・17世紀
  • Medium(Japanese): 木製漆塗
  • Artist Name: 伝本阿弥光悦作
  • Type: Lacquerware
  • External Link: http://www.emuseum.jp/detail/100545
  • Medium: Wood, makie lacquer

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