Writing Table (Bundai) with Melons and Squirrels

Japan

Not on view

This writing table, which was probably originally made as a set with a matching writing box, is decorated with designs of melons and squirrels, auspicious symbols representing good fortune and fertility. This painterly subject originates from Chinese compositions depicting nature, including birds and flowers, grasses, vegetables, and insects, popular in the arts of the Ming dynasty. Painters in Japan during the Muromachi period (1392–1573) incorporated these subjects into their repertory. The maki-e artist depicted the squirrels in a dynamic, playful composition, while some of the leaves are designed as if partially eaten by insects. The application of the flat maki-e and the e-nashiji (“pearskin picture”) sprinkling follows the Momoyama-period traditions (1573–1615) of Kōdaiji lacquers.

Writing Table (Bundai) with Melons and Squirrels, Lacquered wood with gold hiramaki-e and e-nashiji (“pear-skin picture”), Japan

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.