Writing box with moon and wave design

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Writing box with moon and wave design

Japan

Date
18th century
Medium
Lacquer with gold and silver hiramaki-e and takamaki-e
Department
Asian Art
Institution
Minneapolis Institute of Art

Suzuribako , beautifully ornamented lacquer boxes with compartments for an ink stone, ink stick, water dropper, and brushes, became popular during the Muromachi period (1392-1573). By the Edo period, lacquer artists adroitly combined a variety of materials to produce sumptuous objects of great visual appeal. For this box, the waves and sea spray were rendered in silver, which has oxidized to a pewter-gray color. The moon, too, is a silver disk, and would have flashed brilliantly against the dark background sprinkled lightly with gold flakes. Japan, Asia

View at Minneapolis Institute of Art ↗

The authoritative record is held by Minneapolis Institute of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.

Related across collections

Semantically similar works from Minneapolis Institute of Art and other institutions.

Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Design of Pine, Camellia, and Bamboo (base)

Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Design of Pine, Camellia, and Bamboo (base)

Cleveland Museum of Art

Writing box with bridge and waves

Writing box with bridge and waves

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Design of Pine, Camellia, and Bamboo (lid)

Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Design of Pine, Camellia, and Bamboo (lid)

Cleveland Museum of Art

Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Pine, Camellia, and Bamboo

Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Pine, Camellia, and Bamboo

Cleveland Museum of Art

Box

Box

Cleveland Museum of Art

Base of Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Chrysanthemum and Plum Containing Inkstone, Water-dropper, Brushes, Ink-stick Holder, and Paper Knife

Base of Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Chrysanthemum and Plum Containing Inkstone, Water-dropper, Brushes, Ink-stick Holder, and Paper Knife

Cleveland Museum of Art

Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Europeans

Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Europeans

Cleveland Museum of Art

Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Phoenix in Paulownia

Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Phoenix in Paulownia

Cleveland Museum of Art

Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Phoenix in Paulownia (base)

Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Phoenix in Paulownia (base)

Cleveland Museum of Art

Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Phoenix in Paulownia (lid)

Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Phoenix in Paulownia (lid)

Cleveland Museum of Art

Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Chrysanthemum and Plum

Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Chrysanthemum and Plum

Cleveland Museum of Art

Writing Box with Design of Six Poets under a Cherry Tree and a Pine

Writing Box with Design of Six Poets under a Cherry Tree and a Pine

The Metropolitan Museum of Art