Box with sword beans, 17th century
Unknown Japaneseexpand_more
Negoro ware; wood, black lacquer with polychrome lacquer; metal fittingsexpand_more
Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundationexpand_more 2015.79.419a,b
Not on Viewexpand_more
Under Chinese influence, Japanese artisans in the eighth century produced colored lacquerware by tinting the lacquer sap with mineral and vegetable pigments. As they became adept at applying gold and silver powders, however, colored lacquer fell from favor. Craftsmen in the early 17th century resurrected the technique and it became popular among warriors and well-to-do townspeople alike. Used to decorate objects intended for everyday use, colored lacquers were admired for their unpretentious charm, in contrast to laboriously produced and obviously expensive gold and silver examples. This storage box features a casually rendered string bean plant supported by bamboo stakes and straw rope--a common sight in neighborhood gardens.
Details
- Title
- Box with sword beans
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2015.79.419a,b
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Murase, Art through a Lifetime, no. 798
- 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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