Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Phoenix in Paulownia

Cleveland Museum of Art

Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Phoenix in Paulownia

Date
late 1500s
Medium
Lacquer on wood with sprinkled gold and silver powder (maki-e) and gold and silver foil application
Culture
Japan, Momoyama period (1573–1615)
Department
Japanese Art
Institution
Cleveland Museum of Art

The only place the mythical phoenix will perch is in the paulownia tree. Along with the dragon, the bird is a symbol of imperial power in East Asia. This box––a container for an inkstone, brushes, and ink––is both functional and lavish, its dramatic effects achieved with a pear-skin ground decoration ( nashiji ) and sprinkled powder decoration in high relief ( takamaki-e ). In contrast to the bright, celebratory motifs on the exterior, the interior of the box invites a more reflective mood with its autumn moonlit sky over chrysanthemums.

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