Box
1850-1860 (made)
| Place of origin |
Lidded cosmetic box and tray with an overhanging lid, and with a pair of large red (faded) silk cords and tassels each fixed to a metal ring on the bottom section of the box, wood covered in black lacquer and decorated with cherry blossoms and floral scrolls in gold hiramaki-e and takamaki-e lacquer; the box contains 11 combs, 2 brushes, 11 wrappers and 2 paper knots for styling the hair and applying make-up. The interior and underside of the box is in black lacquer.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 30 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Wood with gold <i>hiramaki-e</i> on black lacquer, red-lacquered paper, silvered and gilded paper, silk cords |
| Brief description | Lidded cosmetic box and tray containing combs, brushes and other items for styling the hair, wood covered in black and gold lacquer, decorated with floral scrolls and with large red (faded) silk cords and tassels, Japan, 1850–60 . |
| Physical description | Lidded cosmetic box and tray with an overhanging lid, and with a pair of large red (faded) silk cords and tassels each fixed to a metal ring on the bottom section of the box, wood covered in black lacquer and decorated with cherry blossoms and floral scrolls in gold hiramaki-e and takamaki-e lacquer; the box contains 11 combs, 2 brushes, 11 wrappers and 2 paper knots for styling the hair and applying make-up. The interior and underside of the box is in black lacquer. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Gallery label | Wealthy women would keep their personal possessions in richly decorated lacquer boxes. This example contains hair combs, brushes for cleaning combs, and silvered and gilded paper used in styling hair. Specially commissioned sets of lacquer boxes and other items were often part of a bride’s trousseau.
(29/2/2020) |
| Credit line | Given by HM Queen Victoria |
| Object history | Given by H. M. The Queen, accessioned in 1865. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. This box was part of a group of lacquer items which were a gift from the Shogun Tokugawa Iemochi (r.1858-66) to Queen Victoria (r.1837-191) in 186, and subsequently donated to the V&A in 1865.;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; |
| Subject depicted | |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 289-1865 |
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| Record created | June 25, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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