Minneapolis Institute of Art

Picnic set with plants from the four seasons

Japan

Date

18th century

Medium

Black lacquer with gold and silver maki-e and polychrome lacquer on pearskin ground (nashiji)

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Viewed from the side, the model for this deluxe lacquer picnic set becomes apparent: hand-held drums such as those on display in Gallery 222. Inside, the set includes a four-tiered food container at right, decorated with a variety of floral motifs—chrysanthemums, maple leaves, and cherry blossoms, among others—in gold and silver maki-e as well as silver and gold foil and red lacquer. At left is a holder for sake, which features a sparrow flitting near a branch of bamboo. All of the components feature a maki-e technique known as nashiji (literally, “pear-skin ground”), whereby gold, silver, and other metallic dusts are sprinkled onto a lacquered surface, then coated with a layer of translucent lacquer and polished. Japan, Asia

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