Writing Table (Bundai) with Melons and Squirrels

first half of the 17th century

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This writing table, which was probably originally made as a set with a matching writing box, is decorated with designs of melons and squirrels, auspicious symbols representing good fortune and fertility.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.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

References

栗鼠瓜蒔絵文台
Title: Writing Table (Bundai) with Melons and Squirrels
Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
Date: first half of the 17th century
Culture: Japan
Medium: Lacquered wood with gold hiramaki-e and e-nashiji (“pear-skin picture”)
Dimensions: H. 4 in. (10.2 cm); W. 13 5/8 in. (34.6 cm); L. 23 in. (58.4 cm)
Classification: Lacquer
Credit Line: Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation, 2015
Object Number: 2015.300.283
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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