Scroll Box (Jikumono-bako) with Paulownia and Autumn Grasses

Scroll Box (Jikumono-bako) with Paulownia and Autumn Grasses

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

In the Momoyama period (1573–1615), a new style of lacquer decoration developed in Kyoto. Named after the Kōdaiji Temple, it catered to the tastes of the warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537–1598) for flamboyant furniture and household items decorated in gold. Using several relatively simple techniques, craftsmen conceived innovative, bold designs that did not require complicated underdrawings and allowed them to cover large surfaces in short amounts of time. The designs on this scroll box are executed in flat gold hiramaki-e with darker “pear-skin” hues to create a striking contrast with the black lacquer background.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Scroll Box (Jikumono-bako) with Paulownia and Autumn GrassesScroll Box (Jikumono-bako) with Paulownia and Autumn GrassesScroll Box (Jikumono-bako) with Paulownia and Autumn GrassesScroll Box (Jikumono-bako) with Paulownia and Autumn GrassesScroll Box (Jikumono-bako) with Paulownia and Autumn Grasses

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.