Door Pull
ca. 1700 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The superb quality of this gilded bronze door-pull (Japanese: 'hikite') suggests that it came from the residence of a high-ranking individual. It would have been used for the sliding panels found in a traditional Japanese dwelling.
The four-lobed shape is decorated in champlevé enamels (enamels applied into a hollow carved out of the surface of the object). It is of the type manufactured from relatively early periods in Japan.
There are comparatively few examples of early Japanese enamelling. They include some small door fittings with enamelled designs in the Phoenix Hall (dedicated in 1053) of the Byodoin Temple in Uji, to the south of Kyoto. Other early examples are the architectural fittings decorated with cloisonné enamels (enamels contained within wires) used by the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa (1436–1490). They were used for his Higashiyama retreat in eastern Kyoto (now the Ginkakuji temple).
The four-lobed shape is decorated in champlevé enamels (enamels applied into a hollow carved out of the surface of the object). It is of the type manufactured from relatively early periods in Japan.
There are comparatively few examples of early Japanese enamelling. They include some small door fittings with enamelled designs in the Phoenix Hall (dedicated in 1053) of the Byodoin Temple in Uji, to the south of Kyoto. Other early examples are the architectural fittings decorated with cloisonné enamels (enamels contained within wires) used by the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa (1436–1490). They were used for his Higashiyama retreat in eastern Kyoto (now the Ginkakuji temple).
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Gilded bronze with cloisonne enamel decoration |
| Brief description | Met, Japan, ARCHITECTURAL FITTINGS, cloisonne |
| Physical description | Door-pull (Japanese: hikite) in the four-lobed shape known in Japanese as mokkogata. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Object history | Purchased from Mr. Hogitaro Inada (78 Guildford Street, Russell Square, W.C.), accessioned in 1912. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. |
| Summary | The superb quality of this gilded bronze door-pull (Japanese: 'hikite') suggests that it came from the residence of a high-ranking individual. It would have been used for the sliding panels found in a traditional Japanese dwelling. The four-lobed shape is decorated in champlevé enamels (enamels applied into a hollow carved out of the surface of the object). It is of the type manufactured from relatively early periods in Japan. There are comparatively few examples of early Japanese enamelling. They include some small door fittings with enamelled designs in the Phoenix Hall (dedicated in 1053) of the Byodoin Temple in Uji, to the south of Kyoto. Other early examples are the architectural fittings decorated with cloisonné enamels (enamels contained within wires) used by the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa (1436–1490). They were used for his Higashiyama retreat in eastern Kyoto (now the Ginkakuji temple). |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.283-1912 |
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| Record created | December 13, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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