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Not currently on display at the V&A

Box

1800-1875 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Box of lozenge-shape, in two tiers and with a lid, with inverted corners and bevelled edges, wood covered in black lacquer sprinkled with gold powder (kinpun) sprinkled to resemble clouds. With a design of blossoming cherry trees growing around the box from among rocks and plants, some trees extend up to the lid, among which phoenixes fly or perch in gold hiramaki-e lacquer (metal powder sprinkled on to a lacquer design before it has hardened so that it is in low relief) and <i>takamaki-e</i> lacquer (maki-e in which parts of the design can be raised by clay or charcoal powder) with gold foil (kinpaku)and silver foil (ginpaku). Each interior section depicts three chrysanthemum flower-heads in gold hiramaki-e lacquer on a gold nashiji lacquer ground (irregularly-shaped flakes of gold suspended in clear or yellowish lacquer resembling pear skin); the underside of the box is also of gold nashiji lacquer. The Shunsho signature and seal are in gold and red hiramaki-e lacquer respectively on the inside of the lid.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 3 parts.

  • Tiered Box
  • Lid
  • Tier
Materials and techniques
Wood covered in black lacquer with gold powder (<i>kinpun</i>), with gold <i>hiramaki-e</i> lacquer (metal powder sprinkled on to a lacquer design before it has hardened so that it is in low relief) and gold &lt;i&gt;takamaki-e&lt;/i&gt; lacquer (<i>maki-e</i> in which parts of the design can be raised by clay or charcoal powder), and with gold foil (<i>kinpaku</i>)and silver foil (<i>ginpaku</i>), as well as gold <i>nashiji</i> lacquer (ground of irregularly-shaped flakes of gold suspended in clear or yellowish lacquer resembling pear skin)
Brief description
Lozenge-shaped, tiered box, wood covered in black and gold lacquer with gold foil and silver foil, signed Shunsho, Japan, 1800-1875
Physical description
Box of lozenge-shape, in two tiers and with a lid, with inverted corners and bevelled edges, wood covered in black lacquer sprinkled with gold powder (kinpun) sprinkled to resemble clouds. With a design of blossoming cherry trees growing around the box from among rocks and plants, some trees extend up to the lid, among which phoenixes fly or perch in gold hiramaki-e lacquer (metal powder sprinkled on to a lacquer design before it has hardened so that it is in low relief) and <i>takamaki-e</i> lacquer (maki-e in which parts of the design can be raised by clay or charcoal powder) with gold foil (kinpaku)and silver foil (ginpaku). Each interior section depicts three chrysanthemum flower-heads in gold hiramaki-e lacquer on a gold nashiji lacquer ground (irregularly-shaped flakes of gold suspended in clear or yellowish lacquer resembling pear skin); the underside of the box is also of gold nashiji lacquer. The Shunsho signature and seal are in gold and red hiramaki-e lacquer respectively on the inside of the lid.
Dimensions
  • Height: 11.1cm (Note: Measurements taken from the registers, converted from inches)
  • Width: 20.32cm
  • Diameter: 15.9cm
Style
Marks and inscriptions
Signed 'Shunsho' with a two-character seal-mark (The signature is inscribed in gold hiramaki-e (metal powder sprinkled on to a lacquer design before it has hardened so that it is in low relief))
Credit line
Salting Bequest
Object history
Bequeathed by Mr. George Salting, accessioned in 1910. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project.
Subjects depicted
Collection
Accession number
W.129-1910

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Record createdJune 25, 2009
Record URL
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