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Birdcage

18th century
Not on view
The cranes, wheels, and flowing poem scripts decorating this birdcage refer to both Wakanoura, an inlet on the Kii Peninsula revered as the “bay of poetry,” and to several famous compositions that celebrate this scenic place.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 鳥かご
  • Title: Birdcage
  • Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
  • Date: 18th century
  • Culture: Japan
  • Medium: Black lacquer ground with gold and silver maki-e, dyed wood, and silk netting
  • Dimensions: Diam. 11 1/4 in. (28.6 cm); H. 13 1/4 in. (33.7 cm)
  • Classification: Lacquer
  • Credit Line: Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, 2015
  • Object Number: 2015.500.2.39
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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