Inkstone box (suzuribako)

Object Details

• Description

  Black lacquer over wood w/ gold and silver flakes (maki-e). Gold, silver inlay (takamaki-e). Metal water dropper (suiteki).

  Exterior of this box is decorated in a variety of Japanese techniques known as maki-e, which gold and silver particles and leaf embedded in lacquer. In an autumnal mountain landscape with a windblown maple tree and ivy vines stands a Buddhist priest’s backpack (oi) formed of solid silver. Among the contours of the tree and rocks, three calligraphic characters in silver (yume=dream; ni=in; hito=person) represent three elements of a poem in the tenth-century classic of Japanese court literature, Tales of Ise. In the famous episode known as Tsuta no hosomichi (The narrow ivy path), the poet-hero is traveling in eastern Japan, and encounters and ascetic monk on a dark mountain path overgrown with ivy and maples. The remote and lonely imagery of this scene is reflected in the hero’s poem:

  Beside Mount Utsu Suruga naru

  In Suruga Utsu no yamabe no

  I can see you Utsutsu ni mo

  Neither waking Yume ni mo hito ni

  Nor alas, even in my dreams. Awanu narikeri

  The interior of the box is decorated with a refined design of a garden fence and a pine tree entwined with blooming wisteria.

• Inscriptions

  Inscription on exterior of outer wooden box lid. Two paper labels on interior of same lid.

• Provenance

  Unidentified Japanese collector [1]

  To 2005

  Koichi Yanagi Oriental Fine Arts, New York to 2005, acquired from an unidentified Japanese collector, to 2005 [2]

  From 2005

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Koichi Yanagi Oriental Fine Arts in 2005

  Notes:

  [1] According to Mr. Yanagi, the object came from a Japanese collection (see Curatorial Note 3, Ann Yonemura, January 2005, from Curatorial Justification for Acquisition).

  [2] See note 1.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Painting the Classics: Presence and Absence (November 3, 2018 to October 14, 2019)

  Japanese Arts in the Edo Period: 1615-1868, part 2 (Saturday, March 8, 2008 - Sunday, October 19, 2008)

  Japanese Arts in the Edo Period: 1615-1868, part 1 (August 18, 2007 to February 24, 2008)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Koichi Yanagi Oriental Fine Arts

• Origin

  Japan

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Container

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

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• Date

  1700s, 1710s, 1720s, 1770s, 1780s, 1790s, 1730s, 1740s, 1750s, 1760s, 1800s, 1810s, 1820s, 1830s, 1610s, 1600s, 1650s, 1640s, 1630s, 1620s, 1690s, 1840s, 1680s, 1850s, 1670s, 1860s, 1660s

• Name

  Koichi Yanagi Oriental Fine Arts

• Place

  Japan

• Topic

  Landscapes, Art, Maki-e, Maple tree, Tales of Ise, Edo period, Japan, (1600 - 1868), Japanese Art, Lacquer, Writing

• Culture

  Buddhists, Japanese

• Object Type

  Containers