Getty Museum

Lidded Bowl and Stand

Date

lacquer 1700–1733; silver 1727–1738

Medium

Wood lacquered with red and brown pigments; gold powder; silver-gilt mounts

Culture

Japanese (lacquer); French (mount)

Department

Decorative Arts

Institution

Getty Museum

This covered bowl originally belonged to a dining set intended for rice or soup in Japan. Once it reached France, however, it was probably mounted as a special commission for a wealthy client, who added a stand with a different pattern. Such an ensemble would never have been envisioned by a Japanese craftsman, but authenticity mattered little to its new French owner, who instead would have appreciated the overall decorative effect. The European practice of decorating precious, exotic objects with gilt bronze or silver mounts dates back to the late Middle Ages. The mounts served two purposes: they made the Asian forms conform to ornate French interiors, and they protected the edges of the fragile material. Here, the gilt-bronze band of flowers around the bottom of the lid also enlarged the lid to fit over the bowl.

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