Set of Five Writing Boxes with Japanese Globeflowers, Plum Blossoms, and Interlaced Roundels

Japan

Not on view

Writing-box sets are used in poetry contests or incense games in which several participants have to write at the same time. The writing boxes are distributed at the beginning of the event and collected at the end. This set of five boxes is housed in an open frame decorated with a landscape with a river and Japanese globeflowers. The lid of the stacked boxes is embellished with a plum-tree branch and brushwood fence, a well-known design from the Tōshōgū (Tokugawa memorial shrine) in Nikkō, where the door of the main shrine is decorated with a similar motif. The sides are embellished with interlaced gold and silver roundels (shippō), an auspicious motif on nashiji (pear skin) ground.

Set of Five Writing Boxes with Japanese Globeflowers, Plum Blossoms, and Interlaced Roundels, Lacquered wood with gold and silver hiramaki-e and applied gold foil on nashiji ground, Japan

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.

Set of Five Writing Boxes with Japanese Globeflowers, Plum Blossoms, and Interlaced Roundels, Lacquered wood with gold and silver hiramaki-e and applied gold foil on nashiji ground, Japan
Set of Five Writing Boxes with Japanese Globeflowers, Plum Blossoms, and Interlaced Roundels, Lacquered wood with gold and silver hiramaki-e and applied gold foil on nashiji ground, Japan
Set of Five Writing Boxes with Japanese Globeflowers, Plum Blossoms, and Interlaced Roundels, Lacquered wood with gold and silver hiramaki-e and applied gold foil on nashiji ground, Japan
Set of Five Writing Boxes with Japanese Globeflowers, Plum Blossoms, and Interlaced Roundels, Lacquered wood with gold and silver hiramaki-e and applied gold foil on nashiji ground, Japan
Set of Five Writing Boxes with Japanese Globeflowers, Plum Blossoms, and Interlaced Roundels, Lacquered wood with gold and silver hiramaki-e and applied gold foil on nashiji ground, Japan
Set of Five Writing Boxes with Japanese Globeflowers, Plum Blossoms, and Interlaced Roundels, Lacquered wood with gold and silver hiramaki-e and applied gold foil on nashiji ground, Japan
Set of Five Writing Boxes with Japanese Globeflowers, Plum Blossoms, and Interlaced Roundels, Lacquered wood with gold and silver hiramaki-e and applied gold foil on nashiji ground, Japan
Set of Five Writing Boxes with Japanese Globeflowers, Plum Blossoms, and Interlaced Roundels, Lacquered wood with gold and silver hiramaki-e and applied gold foil on nashiji ground, Japan
Set of Five Writing Boxes with Japanese Globeflowers, Plum Blossoms, and Interlaced Roundels, Lacquered wood with gold and silver hiramaki-e and applied gold foil on nashiji ground, Japan
Set of Five Writing Boxes with Japanese Globeflowers, Plum Blossoms, and Interlaced Roundels, Lacquered wood with gold and silver hiramaki-e and applied gold foil on nashiji ground, Japan
Set of Five Writing Boxes with Japanese Globeflowers, Plum Blossoms, and Interlaced Roundels, Lacquered wood with gold and silver hiramaki-e and applied gold foil on nashiji ground, Japan
Set of Five Writing Boxes with Japanese Globeflowers, Plum Blossoms, and Interlaced Roundels, Lacquered wood with gold and silver hiramaki-e and applied gold foil on nashiji ground, Japan
Set of Five Writing Boxes with Japanese Globeflowers, Plum Blossoms, and Interlaced Roundels, Lacquered wood with gold and silver hiramaki-e and applied gold foil on nashiji ground, Japan

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.