A Meiji Period Silver Mounted Lacquered Box

Details

Description

A Japanese lacquer box, likely a cosmetic box (tebako) or a document box (ryoshibako), with decorative designs.

The box is … Read more A Japanese lacquer box, likely a cosmetic box (tebako) or a document box (ryoshibako), with decorative designs.

The box is rectangular with a fitted lid and a dark reddish-brown lacquer background. The surface is decorated with a floral and foliate design, featuring flowers and swirling leaves. The flowers are depicted in two colors: a golden-yellow and a dark purplish-brown, with the details of the petals created by fine lines. This type of design, where powdered gold and silver are sprinkled onto a lacquered surface to create a picture, is known as maki-e. The design is asymmetrical and continues seamlessly over the visible surfaces of the box.

Lacquerware is created by applying multiple layers of the sap of the urushi tree to a base, often made of wood. The elaborate maki-e technique was highly refined during the Edo (1615–1868) and Meiji (1868–1912) periods, when lacquer boxes and other items became markers of status, taste, and wealth. See less