Inkstone Box (Translation)
松竹梅蒔繪硯箱 江戶時代 1826頃 (Primary Title)
Set of Incense ceremony implements (Series Title)
Writing box (Object Name)
Unknown (Artist)
This set of lacquers represents the style of the Oie school and is used in the incense ceremony (kodo), a ritual of the feudal aristocracy and the imperial family. The painted designs of pine, bamboo, and cherry blossoms symbolize longevity, strength, and prosperity. The family crests on the lacquer indicate the marriage between two powerful feudal families: a cross in a circle for the bride’s Shimazu family, and the plum blossom for the groom’s Hisamatsu- Matsudaira family. The set was commissioned as a dowry for the wedding between two powerful feudal lords (daimyo) in January 1827. The marvelous craftsmanship of this set represents Japanese lacquer work at its best.
Edo period (1615-1868)
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By exchange, the following gifts and bequests: Estate of Lewis H. Blair; Honorable David K. E. Bruce; Helena Woolworth McCann Collection, gift of the Winfield Foundation; Senator Hugh Scott
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC
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