Cleveland Museum of Art

Incense Burner with Lid

Date

late 1300s

Medium

black lacquer on wood with decoration in maki-e; metal rims; bronze lid

Culture

Japan, Nanbokuchō period (1336–92)

Department

Japanese Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This container's repeated, undulating, rounded sides evoke waves over which the articulated plovers sweep. The bronze cover (probably a later addition) mimics the design of a fishing weir. Overall, the container brings to mind the seashore. The earthy quality of the lacquered surface demonstrates the interaction between a man-made pattern (the plovers) and the somewhat unexpected surface of a natural material such as wood.

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