Document Box (Fubako)

Iizuka Rōkansai Japanese

Not on view

This semiformal (gyō) lidded document or letter box by Iizuka Rōkansai, dating probably to the 1930s and made of split smoked bamboo (susudake), is notable for its unusual “double” construction: a background or inner layer of twill plaiting topped by an outer layer of irregular plaiting. On the left side of the box, a wide, thin strip of split bamboo is woven into the outer layer. Rōkansai finished the box with lacquer and added a patina, or “dust” (sabi-tsuke), to the background layer to emphasize the plaited patterns.

Document Box (Fubako), Iizuka Rōkansai (Japanese, 1890–1958), Smoked timber bamboo, rattan, lacquer, and gold brocaded silk, Japan

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Document Box (Fubako), Iizuka Rōkansai (Japanese, 1890–1958), Smoked timber bamboo, rattan, lacquer, and gold brocaded silk, Japan
Document Box (Fubako), Iizuka Rōkansai (Japanese, 1890–1958), Smoked timber bamboo, rattan, lacquer, and gold brocaded silk, Japan

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