One of the first Japanese lacquer artists to become popular in the West, Shibata Zeshin was noted for his technical skills, imaginative compositions, invention of painted lacquer techniques, and experimentation with new colors and inlays of different materials. The brownish-red gourd that dominates the composition of this lacquer writing box is one of the motifs he used most often. The gourd, which is associated with spring, is shown here surrounded by seasonal flowers and grasses such as the dandelion.
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明治時代 柴田是真派 蒲公英酒瓢蒔絵 硯箱
Title:Writing Box with Gourd
Artist:School of Shibata Zeshin (Japanese, 1807–1891)
Period:Meiji period (1868–1912)
Date:1886
Culture:Japan
Medium:Black lacquer with gold and silver hiramaki-e, colored lacquer application
Dimensions:H. 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm); W. 7 5/8 in. (19.4 cm); L. 8 7/8 in. (22.5 cm)
Classification:Lacquer
Credit Line:The Howard Mansfield Collection, Purchase, Rogers Fund, 1936
Object Number:36.100.142a–j
Signature: Hachi ju o Koma Zeshin (Zeshin, aged 80) and seal
Howard Mansfield , New York (until 1936; sold to MMA)
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Kyūbi no Kitsune: Legends of the Nine-Tailed Fox," 1994.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Art in Early Japan," 1999–2000.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "The Written Image: Japanese Calligraphy and Paintings from the Sylvan Barnet and William Burto Collection," October 1, 2002–March 2, 2003.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Birds, Flowers, and Buddhist Paradise Imagery in Japanese Art," February 14–June 13, 2004.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "A Sensitivity to the Seasons: Spring and Summer," December 17, 2005–June 4, 2006.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Animals, Birds, Insects, and Marine Life in Japanese Art," June 26–November 30, 2008.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Japanese Mandalas: Emanations and Avatars," June 18–November 30, 2009.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "A Sensitivity to the Seasons: Summer and Autumn in Japanese Art," June 24–October 23, 2011.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Sumptuous: East Asian Lacquer, 14th–20th Century," October 25, 2014–August 9, 2015.
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