Writing box with Nanban figures, 1633
Unknown Japaneseexpand_more
Black lacquer with gold and silver maki-e, polychrome lacquer, and gold and silver foil inlayexpand_more
Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundationexpand_more 2015.79.386a-e
Not on Viewexpand_more
Fallen cherry blossoms, rendered in gold and silver, adorn the outside surface of the lid of this black lacquered writing box. A writing box contains the tools necessary for the brush arts of calligraphy and ink painting, including an inkstone and water dropper. The underside of the lid and the interior of the box feature a group of Portuguese men, with their distinctive pantaloons and hats. The dark-skinned individuals may be African or Indian. The figural group appears on a black lacquer and silver foil checkered background inspired by European designs. After nearly four hundred years of use and display, some of the inlaid silver squares have fallen off.
Details
- Title
- Writing box with Nanban figures
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2015.79.386a-e
- Provenance
- Manno Art Museum (unitl 2002); London Gallery; Mary Burke (2002-2015)
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Murase, Art through a Lifetime, no. 748
- Curator Approved
This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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