Writing Table (Bundai) with Melons and Squirrels

Writing Table (Bundai) with Melons and Squirrels

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This writing table, which was probably originally made as a set with a matching writing box, is decorated with designs of melons and squirrels, auspicious symbols representing good fortune and fertility.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

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Writing Table (Bundai) with Melons and SquirrelsWriting Table (Bundai) with Melons and SquirrelsWriting Table (Bundai) with Melons and SquirrelsWriting Table (Bundai) with Melons and SquirrelsWriting Table (Bundai) with Melons and Squirrels

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.